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Reef Fishes and Corals of the Red Sea by Pete Harrison and Alex MisiewiczReef Fishes and Corals of the East Coast of Southern Africa by Dennis King
Reef Fishes and Corals of the Red Sea by Pete Harrison and Alex MisiewiczReef Fishes and Corals of the East Coast of Southern Africa by Dennis King
Even the most experienced divers call on fish guides to satisfy their curiosity after a dive. This is a crowded market and the choice varies widely in terms of both price and quality. Two of the latest offerings come from New Holland, already well known for its dive guides, and cover two large areas - the Red Sea and the east coast of Southern Africa.
Both follow a similar format, although the Red Sea book, the more recent, has some handy improvements, notably the inclusion of symbols which summarise behaviour, diet and habitat for each species.
One feature I liked were the line sketches of species types divided into simple identification groups - silvery torpedo-shaped fish, bigeye cave-dwelling fish etc. This is very useful after a dive, when you might not be sure of a species classification, as the sketch will generally direct you to the correct section in the guide for a more detailed search.
There is a brief description of each fish with the usual size, colour and distribution details that you would expect. The descriptions in the Southern Africa guide are perhaps a little more staid and less visually attractive.
Both books also include short sections devoted to the hard and soft corals of the region, which are generally well illustrated and provide sufficient information for most needs.
For an acid test, I took the Red Sea guide with me on one of my photo workshops to see how well it worked in the field for my students, compared with other guides available on the boat. It was well-received and voted particularly useful as a 'first line', speedy identification source. If you need more in-depth information, you might select a more detailed guide or wait until you return home for further research.
These guides are a handy size - there are weightier and more detailed tomes available, but these are much more expensive. Pay your money, make your choice. Mark Webster |
Reef Fishes and Corals of the Red Sea by Pete Harrison and Alex Misiewicz, and Reef Fishes and Corals of the East Coast of Southern Africa by Dennis King, New Holland. Softback, 128pp, £10.99.
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