There are dozens of sport fishing guidebooks on the market, as well as books that attempt to capture saltwater species as works of art. As with his book, Trout: An Illustrated History, James Prosek transcends the competition. His reputation is earned by the magnificence of his work, which builds on his artistic talents, his aesthetic sensitivity, and the training he has as a naturalist. Organized by species, Prosek's work ranges from Newfoundland to the Florida Keys, and covers more than 40 species of food and game fish, including: amberjack, barracuda, bonito, black sea bass, bluefish, bonefish, cobia, cod, dolphin (mahi mahi), false albacore, fluke, flounder, grouper, jack crevalle, mackerel, marlin, permit, pompano, sailfish, shark (blue and mako), snook, striped bass, swordfish, tarpon, tuna (bluefin and yellowfin), and wahoo. From striped bass to tarpon, swordfish to bonefish, this book is a must-have for saltwater anglers, professional fishermen, conservationists, art lovers, beachcombers, and anyone who is passionate about the beauty of the beach and coastline and the mysteries swimming off of its shores. This book is not intended as a scientific catalogue of ocean fishes, but each painting is an individual experience with a fish that Prosek travelled widely to see first-hand. His essays about pursuing the most monumental of the fishes (the swordfish on a harpoon boat in Nova Scotia, the bluefin tuna on a harpoon boat in Cape Cod Bay, and the blue marlin on a sportfishing boat in the Cape Verde islands off the coast of West Africa) comprise the bulk of the book's text. The original paintings are all life-size portraits (from a 14-inch porgy to a 12½-foot blue marlin) and will be exhibited at several venues from Monaco to Philadelphia.

Details from these original works will be reproduced at full size in the book to give a sense of scale. Ocean Fishes is the author's quiet conservation statement.