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Reef Fishes of the Red Sea by Richard and Mary FieldReef Fishes & Corals (East Coast of Southern Africa) by Dennis KingSea Fishes of Australia by Rudie H Kuiter
Reef Fishes of the Red Sea by Richard and Mary FieldReef Fishes & Corals (East Coast of Southern Africa) by Dennis KingSea Fishes of Australia by Rudie H Kuiter
Three recent fish ID books covering different areas of the tropical diving world share many fish species that are common between them. The fact that some of these species have a different common (English) name in each book shows the value of having the most relevant guide for your locations to hand. Latin names are useful, but it's nice to have an alternative!
All these guides are based on underwater photographs of live fish rather than drawings or paintings. While drawings can have some benefits in high-lighting distinctive features, scanning photo-graphs for a match to what you have just seen on your dive is much easier and, importantly, more enjoyable.
While none of the books would classify as a coffee-table publication, any of them would be a pleasure to dip into (or peruse in detail) on the beach or dive boat.
All share similar layouts, each photograph being accompanied by a section of explanatory text, including basic description, guide to habitats and any distinctive habits or features. All the authors seem to have found the secret of making a few words go a long way.
Reef Fishes of the Red Sea is the largest of the three, the only hardback, and has interesting introductory sections on subjects such as reef ecology, fish mimicry and photography.
Despite the extras, however, it lacks the sort of simple identification key employed by the other books to guide the fish-watcher around the main body of the book.
A few poor photographs are counteracted by good coverage of the different colour forms within single species, as they vary with age and sex.
Reef Fishes & Corals (East Coast of Southern Africa) contains less background material but has a consistently excellent standard of photography and a useful additional section on corals. It covers an area not greatly visited by British divers, but also applies to more frequented Indian Ocean spots such as Mauritius, the Seychelles and East Africa.
The pick of the bunch is A Photographic Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia, which contains within its pocket format superb photography and wonderfully informative text.
A simple introductory key is supplemented by tiny outline drawings in the corner of each page which can be picked up as you thumb through the book - a clever touch. My only quibble is that the book's shape makes it rather difficult to open without fear of breaking its spine.
Any of these books would increase my enjoyment of a holiday out of all proportion to their weight and cost.
Paul Naylor
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Reef Fishes of the Red Sea by Richard and Mary Field. Kegan Paul International (01243 779777). Hardback 192pp, £25
Reef Fishes & Corals (East Coast of Southern Africa) by Dennis King, New Holland. Softback 128pp, £14.99
Sea Fishes of Australia by Rudie H Kuiter, New Holland. Softback 144pp, £19.99 |
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