Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas [Plastic Comb]

Paul Humann (Author), Ned Deloach (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1994

The standard fish ID reference for underwater naturalists and marine scientists since 1989 just got better! This enlarged 3rd edition has grown by 20 percent including the addition of over 100 exciting new fish species. The scientifically updated text now boasts 825 classic marine life photographs of 600 common and rare reef fish species. The easy to use, quick-reference format designed for divers makes it a snap to identify the myriad fishes that inhabit the waters of Florida, the Caribbean, Bahamas and now Brazil! It features a new durable, cloth-stitched flexi-binding that folds flat for easy use and water-repellent plastic covers.

--This text refers to the Vinyl Bound edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Attractive, functional guide to reef fishes for divers, snorkelers and professional biologists -- American Fisheries Society Bulletin, Volume 20, No. 10

If you are a diver, fish hobbyist or reef enthusiast, the second edition of REEF FISH ID belongs on your bookshelf -- Dive Training Magazine, July 1995

The most complete photographic guide to warm water Atlantic and Caribbean species ever published -- Rodale's Scuba Diving, December 1994

You will want to have this book with you if you plan any serious fishwatching or teaching in the geographical area of coverage. It is in a class by itself. -- American Society of Ichthyologists, Aug. 8, 1995

From the Publisher

Finally, a comprehensive fish ID book designed for divers! This award-winning 2nd Edition is packed with 670 classic marine life photographs of 494 species and enough information to keep fish watchers busy for years.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Plastic Comb: 406 pages
• Publisher: New World Pubns Inc; 2nd edition (December 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1878348078
• ISBN-13: 978-1878348074
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive guide for reef fish of the Caribbean, June 8, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas (Plastic Comb)

I visit family in St. Croix (US Virgin Islands) yearly, and I have looked at a number of books in order to learn the names of the numerous fish I see when I'm snorkeling or diving. This one makes identification easy, with beautiful pictures and the all-important "Distinctive Features" sections, which give you tips on how to distinguish one fish from the next. Make no mistake: this book is the easiest to use and the most comprehensive one I've seen. I'm online to buy the other two books (Reef Coral and Reef Creatures).

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Fish Identification Guide Available!, September 29, 2001

By 

Johannes (Stockholm, Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas (Plastic Comb)

When I first received this book as a christmas gift from my mother,I was shocked. It was spiral bound,but twice the size of a norma fish identification guide. At 424 pages & 670 photos,it is rather spectacular. Although I have only seen it in pictures,the west atlantic is my favourite underwater landscape,and therefore,it was a great honour to own this book.
The book begins with an introduction to fishes in the caribbean and the ecology of the reefs. A massive ID book is needed to identify fishes on the world`s second largest reef area.
Different from most other fish ID books,it is a rather special one that is dividing the fish into groups based on look rather than relationship. I`ll go through these groups one by one in this review.
ID group 1 is Disks/Oval,featuring some of my favourite fish,making a perfect beginning of the book.
Butterflyfish,angelfish,and surgeonfish can be found here.
Every description includes a short description of colors and gender differences,if any,distribution,family,size,depht and reaction to divers,and natural habitat.
The photographs are accompanied by b/w drawings of the silhouettes.
The second one is a rather large chapter,covering the silvery,stream-lined ocean hunters like barracudas,porgies,mojarras,dolphins,mullets,and the large predator cobia. Not very colorfull,but still majestic.
The 3rd chapter includes Sloping Head/Tapered body,with snappers and grunts as the main families.The grunts can be rather varied.
The 4th one includes Small Ovals,where the damselfish and chromis can be found. There are no anemonefish in the caribbean,but these are closely related to those. Also included here are the hamlets,which are all subspecies of one species.
These are very colorfull and cute little critters. The next chapter is Heavy Body/Large Lips,including the largest bony fishes here - groupers,of which the jewfish can weigh 900 pounds!
These are clumsy,but still charmy fishes. Except 30 species of those,the little fairy basslet,the most beautifull fish of the caribbean,is included here too,yellow and purple.
Swim with Pectoral Fins,which is ID group 6,includes the varied family of parrotfishes and wrasses,which are very colourfull. The Hogfish can also be found here,the character of the caribbean. ID group 7 introduces Reddish/Big Eyes,with the big-eyed squirrelfishes and the small,but beautifull cardinalfish.
ID group 8 treats the Small,Elongated Bottom-Dwellers,whose beauty is often underestimated,especially the cute gobies. The sailfin blenny is one of my favourites. Here,we can also find the yellowhead jawfish,which is a famous fish here too. Odd-Shaped Bottom Dwellers includes the toadfish and the funny-looking flounders & batfishes,who walks on their fins!I am very fascinated by the looks of the strange frogfishes. Odd-Shaped Swimmers (chapter 10) includes the pufferfish,which can fill themselves with air,and the funny-looking trumpetfish. Also found here are the boxfishes,who are covered with armor,except for their fins,eyes and mouth. They can have very beautifull colors. The triggerfish can be found too. They are colorfull,although agressive inhabitants of the coral reefs. So are their close relatives,the filefishes.
And finally,the cutest fish in the Caribbean,can also be found here. It is the little yellow porcupinefish,less than an inch in size. The famous jack-knife is also found in this chapter. It looks like a cross between a scalare and a chromis!
It is believed to be the juvenile form of the web burrfish.
The 11th chapter is the Eel Deal of the book. Here comes the snake eels,beautifull but mysterious bottom dwellers. And last,but not least,the venomous moray eels also lurks in this chapter. The 8-foot green moray is the most famous,while the most scary one is the viper moray with huge teeth!I love moray eels,so this is a paradise for me!
The final chapter "Sharks & Rays" deals with the ultimate UW predators. But not all sharks a fierce. In fact,the whale shark is one of the friendliest fishes in the world,reaching a size of 60 feet and harmless to everything but plancton!The nurse shark is also a character of the Caribbean. Other ones included here are the manta ray,lemon shark,mako shark (the fastest fish in the world)and the dangerous tiger & bull sharks.
This is a chapter I would have liked to expand a bit,but as many sharks are not reef dwellers,I understand why they did not included the great white and/or the Megamouth.
Over all,now I have gone through all chapters fastly,but you have to see this book to really enjoy it. When I go to the Caribbean or Florida,I will bring this book and see how many fish I can identify.
So go get it!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The FINEST identification book out there!, December 5, 2001

By 

Aquaria.Info "Aquaria.Info - Aquarium Fish On... (Aquaria.Info) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas (Plastic Comb)

This is a fantastic book, and along with the other two books by this author you should be able to ID any marine creature you encounter!

The book lists virtually all types of fish, including angels, tangs, butterfly, damsels, clowns, and more!

Each entry has an excellent picture, the name, family, size, depth, and other information.

The pictures alone are worth the cost of the book!

This is definitely the book you want to have with you when you dive or snorkel. Buy it today, you won't be disappointed!