Article © Marc Stabel, uploaded December 24, 2006.

This small softback book contains 64 pages, 26 coloured pictures, 2 drawings and no less than 16 catfish families. These are divided into two sections, namely the armoured and the naked catfishes. The armoured section isn't too bad for those days and covers the pages 11 up to 36 (Doradidae included!). It should be clear that the other 13 families have to divide the rest of the pages, which says it all: very superficial. For example, the only Pimelodidae covered in this booklet is Microglanis parahybae. It is not pictured, however. To make up for the little information there's a picture of Pimelodus clarias, "a cousin of Microglanis". With regard to the above it's almost needless to say that the nomenclature is fairly outdated.

On the other hand, the pictures are very nice. And one shouldn't forget it's more than 25 years old. I remember these books sitting on the sales shelves for years and they just couldn't be sold. I wouldn't be surprised if they were thrown away eventually. Today they occasionally show up at auction sites and make little money even there.

Is it worth buying? Yes and no. If it can be obtained for less than one GBP or euro it'll make a nice asset to your catfish books collection. But if you are looking for a book you can actually use, don't buy. In that case it'll be a waste of money.

The book's original title was Welse im Aquarium, 1979, W. Keller & Co.

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