Taxidermy is a general term describing the many methods of reproducing a life-like three-dimensional representation of an animal for permanent display. In some cases, the actual skin (including the fur, feathers or scales) of the specimen is preserved and mounted over an artificial armature. In other cases, the specimen is reproduced completely with man-made materials. Works of taxidermy are displayed in museums, educational institutions, businesses, restaurants, and homes.   The word "taxidermy" is derived from two ancient Greek words; taxis, meaning movement; and derma, meaning skin. Therefore, loosely translated, taxidermy means the movement of skin. This is a fairly appropriate definition as many taxidermy procedures involve removing the natural skin from the specimen, replacing this skin over an artificial body, and adjusting the skin until it appears lifelike.   The modern practice of taxidermy incorporates many crafts, such as carpentry, woodworking, tanning, molding and casting; but it also requires artistic talent, including the art of sculpture, painting and drawing. In a modern deer head mount, for example, the only natural parts of the animal used are the antlers and the skin. All of the other organs and tissues are recreated with man-made materials. The eyes are made from glass, the eyelids are sculpted from clay, the soft tissues of the nose and mouth are sculpted from epoxy or wax, and the mannikin or "form" (which incorporates the anatomy of each muscle and vein) is made from polyurethane foam.   Today, some taxidermy mounts (most notably saltwater fish) do not contain any parts of the animal at all. They are completely re-created from man-made materials. This is ideal for catch-and-release anglers, who can release their game fish unharmed, and can still have a life-sized trophy produced from a good color photo and measurements. In fact, most saltwater fish (as well as many cold water fish) are entirely recreated from man-made materials today. Fish taxidermy is the one area of wildlife art where the artist must totally recreate the colors of the skin all over the animal. Among professionals, it is generally agreed that the most difficult branch of taxidermy is fish mounting. Creating a technically accurate fish mount can be a real challenge. The top award-winning fish taxidermists are almost all outstanding flat artists as well. The ability to draw, paint, mix colors, and sculpt are shared among most of the world's best fish taxidermists.   Mounting fish not only requires the ability to accurately recreate the anatomy of the subject, but to restore all of the colorations as well. When a fish skin dries, most of the color goes away, leaving only brownish patterns on the skin and scales. In bird taxidermy, the taxidermist must paint the legs, feet, and bill, but the feathers retain their natural colors. In mammal taxidermy, the taxidermist must paint the nose and eyes, but the fur requires no color correction. In fish taxidermy, however, the taxidermist has to paint every square inch of the specimen, and make it appear natural. There are a lot of different ways to produce a fish mount, and fish taxidermists usually are required to choose different mounting methods to match their particular subjects. Takeshi Yamada    "Battle of Coney Island" oil painting on canvas 4x6 feet.   Giant Sea Centipede 4 feet long Reconstructed by using body fragments collected at Coney Island Beach  "Fiji Mermaid" (Japanese style) 6 feet long. The Giant Killer Worm 7 feet long. North East Corner of the Museum of World Wonders  "Battle of Coney Island" 2 prehistoric horseshoe crabs (3 feet long) were reconstructed by using today's Atlantic horseshoe crabs based on the fossil records.   Atlantic Marsh Dragon 30 inch long Reconstructed  using body fragments (including its skull) collected at the Coney Island Beach   Photograph of Takeshi Yamada was taken by Merry Kafka, Curator of Education at New York Aquarium on June 23, 2006. She visited him at the Museum of World Wonders to discuss matters of bringing his gaff exhibition to more educational institutions such as universities in New York City.