Customer Reviews

Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific: Animal Life from Africa to Hawaii Exclusive of the Vertebrates

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I relied on the previous reviews and brought this book with me on a recent trip to French Polynesia. I should have been more careful. One reviewer, for example, noted the inclusion of ten (though I see eight) "undescribed little octopi." How does he know that they're little? The book doesn't give size information. The first of the eight is described as large, then there is no size information for the next two, and then the fourth is "another small species." How small? How small is a small octopus, anyway? It's not something I know, but it is something I expect a guide to tell me. Also, the one octopus I spent most time watching changed color repeatedly, and I would have liked to have seen something about coloration possibilities.

I'm rating this book harshly became I see what more it could have been. It's also a heavy book, and weight is crucial on inter-island flights. Next time, I'm bringing Allen and Steene's Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Field Guide. It has fewer entries and devotes the plurality of its pages to fish, which are better covered elsewhere, but it's lighter weight and gives size information.

After a trip to Fiji in 2011, I wish to revise this review to rate the item more highly. I remain disappointed in the lack of size information, and I still wouldn't carry it with me. But I find that as I try to identify the reef animals of which I took pictures, I'm using the book. I still want the book to be better, but I'm giving it three stars rather than two. Three seems to better reflect my ambivalence.

I only have positive thoughts about this great reference. It is simply the best book ever written on the invertebrates of the Indian Ocean and especially the Indonesian area. It is like an oversized version of Debelius` field guides,but this one truly rocks!It does not only include 1105 interesting invertebrate species,but also some great information about them. Some species are such new to science that they`ve not even been described. For example,there are 10 undescribed little octopi. If any animal are more strikingly colourfull than reef fishes,these are the ones. I love all animals but I especially like the chapters about flatworms,crustaceans,and molluscs,of which many species are new to me. I already have a great knowledge of animals for beeing such young,and this book gives me much more. When I take a trip to Thailand for the next winter,I`ll bring this book and see how many invertebrates I`ll recognize from it. Over all,this is a great book and would recommend it to any serious scientist,aquarium hobbyist,invertebrate lover,or the one that just likes strong colours. The price is high,but believe me,it`s definitly worth it!

This soft-cover book provides some of the most vivid color pictures of marine invertebrates that I have seen to date. However, do not expect involved explanations about each species listed. Scientific names are given for each species, but common names are not always included. Very little information given concerning how each species relates in the aquarium environment.

Great photos, wide coverage, this book is a very simple and easy guide for any lover of the coral reef animals [even if its not a biological or academic textbook with full description and additional detail]. It gives key for coral reef animals identification and provide enough basic information to assist any non specialist, in particular diver.

Nice book although creatures to varied and so not a very comprehensive guide!
Better more comprehensive books on the market!

This book is exactly what I had hoped it would be. It has beautiful photos and adequate descriptions of the reef life. I used it to identify photos that my husband took on a recent dive trip. I would recommend it very highly.

The book is written from the prospective of the conservator rather than that of the coral reef keeper. However, the information is pertinent to both. The photographs are clear and provide a tool in identifying salt water invertebrates.

excellent reference of all sea life in this part of the world. I would highly recommend it.