Joshua Pickett is a science communicator, publisher and self-confessed fish enthusiast, giving illumination to research through the use of visual and written language. He is a frequent contributor to wildlife publications, and works extensively with scientists to bring valuable insights into public thought, with some of his articles and photography appearing in: Practical Fishkeeping Magazine, Amazonas, Life: Nature, Pets 宠物情缘, the recent fish: a literary celebration of scale and fin, and various ichthyology books—with upcoming features in British Wildlife and Sea Angler.
♪ Scales 29 lateral, with markings unnatural; that's Amur-ay ♪
What species are the beloved Koi Carp exactly? Josh touches on their history, cultivation, hybridisation, problems with categorising domesticated animals, and more importantly, their accepted scientific classification.
The third in a series of ichthyology detective articles (December 2024) featured for free on Josh's personal blog, which you can read here.
The British Bullhead; a case of mistaken identity
For many years, the classification of the freshwater bullhead has been a topic of much confusion. So what species do we have in Britain, and how did they get here?
The second in a series of ichthyology detective articles (November 2024) featured for free on C.E. Fish Essentials, which you can read here.
[This article inspired a collaborative feature with Prof. Mark Everard for British Wildlife magazine, appearing in 2025].
Shore Clingfish vs Cornish Sucker
In Britain, we have four verified species of clingfish, but many authorities confuse the naming of one of our native species for a similar looking species from the Mediterranean. How did this happen?
The first in a series of ichthyology detective articles (October 2024) featured for free on Josh's personal blog, which you can read here.
Freshwater fishes of cameroon
A Polypteridae feature by Joshua Pickett in the new book Freshwater Fishes of Cameroon by Michel Keijman, launched in October 2023. The book, also contains contributions from The Bichir Handbook collaborator Zuzana Musilová, provides a comprehensive overview of a large number of freshwater fishes found in Cameroon. It contains more than 200 pages on cichlids alone, but it will also showcase and cover Mormyrids, all the Killis from Cameroon and many more fish genera. Furthermore, there will also be a chapter dealing with aquatic plants.
*Be aware, images of Polypterus delhezi were mistakenly used by the book's author for P. endlicherii.
PRE-ORDERS NOW LIVE
After being out of print for 2 years, copies for a revised edition of The Bichir Handbook with additional content are now available to pre-order; shipping out in Q2/Q3 of 2025.