Hawaii's Sea Creatures: A Guide to Hawaii's Marine Invertebrates, Revised Edition
This is John's latest book, illustrating and describing over 500 species of marine invertebrates from the Hawaiian Islands. The excellent underwater photos are well-reproduced and the text contains complete and informative descriptions of each species. Each phylum has been given equal coverage. The opisthobranch section includes 77 species, a number of which are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and unlikely to be illustrated in other recent publications.... The bibliography included is excellent. This book is a must have for biologists, divers, snorkelers and opisthobanch lovers alike. Most of the Hawaii "entries" at Mike Miller's Slug Site are straight from the book and will give potential buyers a good idea of the book's content. --Australasian Nudibranch News, no. 10. May 1999This is THE book for identifying over 500 species of invertebrates found in Hawaiian waters--the book that Hawaii's divers have long awaited! This hefty 2 pound volume is filled with excellent photos of both the common and rare. But where it truly excels is in the quality and depth of information provided. John Hoover rooted out not only the scientific and Hawaiian names of each species, but what the names mean. He scoured the scientific literature for the latest proposed scientific names. He discovered sources of fascinating anecdotes, past uses, and Hawaiian perceptions adding depth to what is known about the animals. This well researched book is the first comprehensive Hawaii invertebrate book since Edmondson's 1944 Reef and Shore Fauna. Truly, it sets the standard for all regional invertebrate books to follow. --Mike Severns Diving