Pacific Coast Pelagic Invertebrates: A Guide to the Common Gelatinous Animals

Rating:
Summary: Great.
Review: An excellent book. As a Marine Biologist and diver I found this book an excellent complement for both my work and recreational diving. Photographs are very good and descriptions accurate yet simple enough.

Rating:
Summary: A well-written reference book
Review: Pacific Coast Pelagic Invertebrates covers the common gelatinous pelagic invertebrates, more commonly thought of as jellyfish, that are encountered on the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California. There is really no comparable source for this information and certainly none that is so well written and illustrated.

The beginning of the book provides a description of the advantages of a gelatinous lifestyle, the role of gelatinous animals in marine ecosystems, and the range of habitats in which they occur. This provides the reader with an appreciation for the diverse and successful patterns these animals have evolved to live in a variety of habitats and niches. There is also an excellent section on observing, collecting, and photographing specimens.

Wrobel and Mills have provided a glossary of terms and black and white photographs of each major group identifying various body parts. The description of how to distinguish the major groups gives readers an entree into the descriptions of the species.

Species from four phyla are included: Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Mollusca, and Chordata. The descriptions of the organisms are arranged taxonomically. Information on identification, natural history, range and habitat, and other remarks as appropriate are included in each description. The most striking feature of the book has to be the photographs that accompany each species description. The photographs are truly gorgeous.

Rating:
Summary: Alluring guide with deepsea photographs.
Review: The ultimate guide containing deep sea jellyfish photography. Providing scientific names only, for the marine biologist and deep ocean explorer. The pelagic jellies covered are mysterious and simply intriguing. There are several enormous surface water jellyfish covered, often in intimidating close up photographs. The mesopelagic species are bioluminescent and by far the most amazing in the entire guide. A few benthic species are covered, but this is a risky exploration, so we mostly view mesopelagic clips. By an author with expertise in the subject, and a deep sea researcher, combines detailed explanations of range, habitat and others. With some more commonly known jellies, such as the sea nettle, botanical names are given along with regular common names. Some photographs are in specialized black and white, since that particular species has not been seen since that photo was taken. The range is variable in many jellies, since some can journey from deep water up to the surface typically. If another company plans to equal this guide in numbers of listings or comprehension, they will have to go through extensive work, even for several years or more. Unequaled in this specific topic.
Since this book has good binding quality and suitable price, it should be quickly referenced by ocean experts or interested marine biologists.