This unique, concise and beautifully-illustrated guide allows students to identify over 650 of the common, widespread animals and seaweeds of the shore. User-friendly dichotomous keys are supported by details of diagnostic features and biology of each species. Now enhanced with 32 pages of colour, this much acclaimed guide is invaluable to students of marine biology at any level. Questions such as how does the species reproduce? What is its life-cycle? How does it feed? are answered in the notes accompanying each species to give a fascinating insight into the diversity and complexity of life on the shore. The text is supported by an extensive glossary of scientific terms and a comprehensive bibliography is included to aid further study. The third edition builds on the excellent reviews of earlier editions and will continue to appeal to a wide readership, including students, teachers and naturalists.
- Preface to second edition
- Preface to first edition
- Acknowledgements for illustrations
- Introduction
- Design and layout of the book
Illustrated guide to the plants and animals of the shore
- Algae
- Lichens
- Angiosperms
- Porifera
- Cnidaria
- Ctenophora
- Platyhelminthes
- Nemertea
- Priapula
- Annelida
- Mollusca
- Arthropoda
- Sipuncula
- Echiura
- Bryozoa
- Phorona
- Echinodermata
- Hemichordata
- Chordata
Glossary
General references
Index
John Fish is the former Director of the Institute of Biological Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Science at Aberystwyth University. Susan Fish is a Research Associate in the Institute of Biological Sciences at Aberystwyth University.
"'This is an information-packed volume for the serious student of the seashore [...] The great merit of this book is that it goes into considerable detail about the individual species including aspects of their behaviour, longevity and distribution around the British coast [...] illustrated with excellent line drawings of every species featured [...] The book seems better the more I look at it."
- Glaucus
"[...] a unique, concise illustrated guide to both the biology and identification of over 600 common and widespread shore animals and plants [...] this book will be the premier biological text and identification guide for students at school and university, teachers and all those interested in the seashore for many years to come."
- Piet Lansbergen, Coast
"[...] should rapidly become accepted as a standard identification text for shore organisms."
- Hugh Jones, Bulletin of the Malacological Society of London
"[...] a welcome addition to the library of any prospective, or practising, marine biologist in the UK."
- P. G. Moore, Journal of Natural History
"[...] a valuable guide for the student. Very good."
- Aquarist and Pondkeeper
"[...] very good value for any student of marine biology at any level. It is a fund of information presented in a clear and user-friendly way."
- N. V. Jones, ECSA Bulletin
"[...] a useful text for the more serious student [...] Sixth-form libraries and university students will want this."
- Simon Millett, SSR
"[...] as an introductory guide this one has much to recommend it."
- TEG News
"I would envisage this remaining a standard work for many years to come."
- Bryan Sage, Country-Side
"This is an excellent book for the intended readership [...] It can also be recommended to interested amateurs [...] recommended unreservedly for indoor-based identification work and as a preliminary source of information on the life-cycle and ecology of individual seashore organisms."
- Iain C. Wilkie, Glasgow Naturalist
Review of an earlier edition:
"[...] an excellent piece of work [...] I would recommend it to anyone involved in tutoring marine field courses and to general marine ecologists. At GBP19.95 for the paperback version it represents good value for money."
- Ian Killeen, Porcupine Newsletter