Imagine yourself floating in a crystal-clear river filled with some of your favourite tropical fish. When you look down at the river bottom you see Stingrays and schools of Corydoras. When you look to your right you see Cardinal tetras, and to your left, you witness schools of Severum cichlids. You lie there, motionless, observing, and narrating what you see, what the fish do. That’s what’s in this book.
This book is an underwater photography journey through clear water streams in the Orinoco River basin featuring over 150 species of freshwater fish. Explore the natural underwater world of Venezuela and Colombia, in the Lost World, the Amazonas inselbergs and other remote areas in the tropical rainforests of the Guiana Shield.
View the original colours of these species when they are in their natural habitats and get valuable information on their homes including GPS locations, pH and other species that share their biotopes. Learn what their scientific names mean or stand for, interesting anecdotes and observations of the fish's behaviour in the wild, and underwater photography tips such as settings and the gear used to take each image.
Watch a short book trailer below:
Ivan Mikolji is a world-renowned river explorer who tirelessly documents the diversity and wonder of the world we live in. He is an Associate Investigator at the La Salle Institute, promoting the importance of preserving freshwater biodiversity around the globe. His work inspires a deep love and respect for the conservation of nature, stating "You cannot preserve something that you don’t know exists".
He recently had the honour of having a newly described species of cichlid named after him, Astronotus mikoljii.
His most recent book, Fishes of the Orinoco in the Wild, has won three Indie Book Awards. PFK magazine described it as #2 in their list of "Best Fish Books EVER!"
– Winner of three indie book awards
"#2 Best Fish Book Ever! [...] The most anticipated fish book of 2020"
– PFK magazine
"Have you ever wondered where all those beautiful tropical freshwater fishes come from or what it’s like where they live in the natural underwater world? Now you can finally find out! Ivan Mikolji has spent a lifetime capturing their wild essence and vibrant colors in natural habitats in Colombia and Venezuela and wants to share them with you. See for yourself in his amazing new book."
– Prof. Donald C. Taphorn B., Professor in Ichthyology
"Tropical fish from a different angle, literally. This Mikolji masterpiece is a must have for any Aquarist, Ichthyologist or aquatic hobbyist."
– Max Pedley, professional aquarist
"Dive into the freshwaters of the Orinoco with the author and witness untouched aquatic flora and fauna first hand. The book is a definitive pictorial reference for the characins, cichlids and catfish of the Orinoco, where and how they live, as well as associated aquatic plants and sympatric fish species. Ivan Mikolji’s hundreds of unique underwater observations, first-class photographs and detailed notes unlock the secrets to many of our aquarium species in the wild."
– Jeremy Gay, author and former editor of PFK magazine