Hawaii's Sea Creatures: A Guide to Hawaii's Marine Invertebrates

Hawaii isn`t just big waves or sunny beaches. For a fish enthusiast,it is a heaven of beautifull animals. And this book is very helpfull when knowing what animals that hides beneath the surface of the ocean. Practically every habitat is invaded by creatures creeping,floating,crawling or swimming.Over 500 species are identified here. Scientific & common names,natural history,size,cultural importance,ecology and suitability for aquariums - everything can be found here!The habitats are also presented,before the ID section begins. The book begins with a chapter about sponges,which are not as diverse here as in many other areas,but nevertheless,they are very colorfull. Then,we will see some jellyfish in the next chapter. My favourite is the white-spotted one. We also have Hawaii`s corals here. They are not well-known and not so colorfull as their relatives in the Indian Ocean,but it is good to know their names. The anemones are also quite anonymous,but very colorfull. After the huge coral chapter,the worms are presented,both the bristleworms and the nudibranch-like flatworms. The latter are the most beautifull creatures of the reef,with all of their colors,but not the cutest. The worm chapter is rather small,but the next chapter is covering the molluscs. They are very diverse,with more than 110 000 species worldwide. Both clams,shells,nudibranchs (=sea snails)and octopuses are presented here. The cowries are famous here,and I can`t understand why their shells are so famous - it is the living animals that covers the shell that are really amazing!Other shells included here are the venomous cone shells,the huge triton and many more. The nudibranchs should not be forgotten either. Their colors and shapes are endless in variations and beauty. Black,white,green,yellow,purple,pink - every color exists!They are even beating the fishes in beauty. The octopuses,of which only 8 species are presented,are rather similar to each other,so it`s not much to say about them. Then,I jump to the second of the book`s big chapters - about the Crustaceans. The crustaceans are my favourite invertebrates and therefore,this section is very interesting. Many rare species of reef crabs,lobsters,shrimps,mantis shrimps and unusually colorfull hermit crabs are presented here. My favorite is the rock lobster. The last chapter treats the echinoderms,which are highly developed although they lack head!The seastars,sea cucumbers,urchins and featherstars are included here. After you`ve seen that chapter,the wonderfull book is over!And it has been really great. REMEMBER: This is just what I have told you!Now it`s your turn to dive in and get your own invertebrate knowledge!

I just returned from a vacation in Hawaii. I took this book, along with a reef fish book also by Mr. Hoover. While I highly recommend both books, the comprehensiveness and quality of this book make it a real standout. How Mr. Hoover managed to include photos and descriptive text of so many common reef invertebrates is amazing enough, but I was really impressed with how much fun this book was to read. I found myself taking it to dinner and reading (much to my wife's chagrin).

Author John Hoover has done the impossible. He has given us a book that covers over 500 species of marine invertebrates in Hawaii with excellent color photos of each, an explanation of major groups, and specific information on each species. Mr Hoover's writing style is highly readable and to the point. The list of people he contacted for taxonomic information on species reads like a "who's who" of invertebrate researchers. This is a tremendous undertaking and an extremely valuable resource for the marine enthusiast. There is no other book like it!