Customer Reviews

The Many-Splendored Fishes of Hawaii

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I bought this book back in 1990 and have used it many times in our 14 trips to Hawaii. The small print allows for a lot of information to be packed into the book's small size. The drawings of the fish are accurate and colorful. The 166 fish described in the book depict a good cross section of the fishes found on the Hawaiian reefs.

This volume was updated in 1985, and that is the edition I am reviewing here. Gar Goodson originally published this book in 1973. At that time, the quality of fish photographs made fish illustrations most valuable in order to highlight identifying characteristics of fish (the same was true for bird guides). However, the quality of underwater photography has improved drastically, and most of the current identification guides now feature photographs of fish in natural habitats, or with natural assemblages of fish.

For Hawaii, these newer publications include Hawaii's Fishes : A Guide for Snorkelers, Divers, and Aquarists and Shore Fishes of Hawaii. For one of Goodson's favorite diving and snorkeling spots, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, there is Hanauma Bay: A Marine Guide to Hawaii's Most Popular Nature Preserve. I'd recommend these newer works before recommending The Many-Splendored Fishes Of Hawaii.

Of course, for a Hawaii fish nut like me, I constantly look to expand my library, and I'm glad I have this volume. Goodson includes a number of comments about the 160+ species of fish discussed and described, and I always learn something. I will now watch for triggerfish blowing jets of water to overturn an urchin, and the idea of a 12 foot long parrotfish is something to think about (but don't expect this in Hawaii waters)!

The book ends with a very brief overview of diving and fishing reefs on the Hawaiian Islands. These maps are really not very good, not mentioning some very popular dive sites (Shark's Cove on O'ahu) while praising Waikiki (?).

This book is best suited for the Hawaii fish book collector. That's me!