|
British Sea Fishes by Frances Dipper
British Sea Fishes by Frances Dipper
Dr Frances Dipper is a well-known scientist, with a well-known passion for fish. In 1987 she published her first book on British sea fish and, as a keen underwater photographer, took the bold step of illustrating it with photographs.
This proved much easier for keen fish-watchers to use than the more formal, often questionably illustrated, field guides.
So many divers, as well as snorkellers, sport-fishermen and seashore enthusiasts, found that this was the book for them that their demands led to a couple of reprints. Now, however, improvements in equipment and standards of underwater photography have justified a new edition.
By collecting great new photographs from the ranks of Britain's most accomplished underwater photographers, the author has illustrated more than 100 species, each accompanied, as usual, by Robert Irvine's excellent line illustrations.
Each species has been featured within the environment in which it would usually be found, and described by size, distribution, habitat, biology and behaviour - in fact, everything but their telephone numbers! A useful section has been included covering a few rarely seen fish likely to be encountered in British waters - 'British' meaning anywhere between Shetland and the Scilly Isles.
I can recommend this book as a valuable aid to getting to know our common coastal fishes by name, and understanding their world a lot better.
Rico Oldfield
|
British Sea Fishes by Frances Dipper (Underwater World Publications, 0208 943 4288). Softback, 216 pp, £17.95
|
|
|
Archive | 
