ABSTRACT
Fish communities of lakes are in¤uenced by many factors. Some of the most important ones are the age of the lake; its size relative to depth, volume and surface area; elevation; latitude; and trophic status. It is also important to consider the capability for rapid speciation of ‘shes in older lakes, especially in some ‘sh families-a topic to be discussed when we consider reproduction of ‘shes. For now, major in¤uences on ‘sh communities in even the largest of lakes are occurring due to the actions of humans. For comparison purposes, two major types of lakes that are important to ‘shes stand out: temperate and tropical lakes (Table 13.1).
