wanted: recommendation for tropical pacific CREATURE ID book

[Polpessa]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a creature ID book for Indonesia but having trouble finding one.

So far what I've come up with is the following 3 books, but none of them seem to be exactly what I want -- I don't want fish ID in the book (already got one) and the first 2 seem to also cover fish, and the 3rd book doesn't include nudibranchs...or should I get option 3 and then a separate nudi ID book? If so, can you recommend a good tropical Pacific nudi guide? Thanks!!

1)Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific by Terrence Gosliner
Amazon.ca: Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific: Animal Life from Africa to Hawaii Exclusive of the Vertebrates: Books: Terrence M. Gosliner,David W. Behrens,Gary C. Williams

2)Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Field Guide by Gerald Allen
Amazon.ca: Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Field Guide: Books: Gerald R. Allen,Roger Steene

3)Crustacea Guide of the world by Helmut Debelius
Amazon.ca: Crustacea Guide of the World: Books: Helmut Debelius

 

[almitywife]

..... If so, can you recommend a good tropical Pacific nudi guide? ....]

hubby says:
1001 Nudibranchs
Catalogue of Indo Pacific Sea Slugs
by Neville Coleman

Neville Colemans World of Water Marine Publications and Aquatic Photo Index.

 

[redrover]

My experience with ID books; there is no one source and with the luck of running across things not common, go nuts until I know what they are. In short, I’ve acquired several dozen books.

Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Field Guide Gerald Allen and Roger Steene I have, and have been impressed I was able to ID things asked here online from it, personally I prefer more detail of the creature. I’ve also got their (with Mark Allen) Angelfishes and Butterflyfishes with the detail I seek.
If I was unable to view before purchase, blind I’d be more inclined to get a Helmut Debelius over an unknown (to me) author. I have his Nudibranchs and Sea Snails Indo-Pacific Field Guide and found it useful.
I also have Tropical Pacific Invertebrates (Colin & Arneson) with a great deal of photographs but am finding the descriptions sporadic in providing the details I seek to feel I have accurately ID something. I just flipped to a page and it has 9 of 14 ‘things’ termed Unidentified Barnacle, Isopoda, Ostracod etc. (Oh good lord! I just got the hyperlink…I thought near $60 USD I paid was pricy! Well, Waterman liked it.)

This is not the help you are looking for but if nothing better turns up, I hope it helps you make your choices.

 

[Kupu]

For nudie books, either Nudibranchs of the World by Debelius & Kuiter, or Coleman's new Nudibranch Encyclopedia should be the most complete for tropical Pacific. If you are serious about nudibranchs, other books which just have a section devoted to nudies will leave you wanting more. Otherwise, Nudibranchs & Sea Snails by Debelius is a good compromise, with a decent slug section and lots of stuff not included in the books devoted just to nudies.

There are a couple good web sites for nudie ID if you are not wanting to spend alot of cash, NudiePixel is my favorite, but it can take a long time to find a match. I use the web based resources to cross check what I find in the books.

Coleman's new book should be out in May, I tried to get 1001 Nudibranchs but it is out of print and I couldn't find it for sale anywhere. I think his new book should be worth the wait.

 

[Kupu]

After a bit more thought, I recommend to go with your first pick Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific, its a decent book for Indonesian invertebrates.

Then for nudies, I really think Coleman's new book will be the best of the bunch if you can wait a little while, he is serious about slugs. If you are in a hurry, pick up Debelius Nudibranchs of the World. It is a very interesting book, lots of info for ID, but I have been told not completely accurate on a few ID's. But I really like it. As mentioned before, one source is not really enough. For a cheaper and more focused book on Indonesian Opisthobranchs, Tonozuka Takamasa has a book, Opisthobranchs of Bali and Indonesia. Haven't seen it, it should be nice, but probably not as comprehensive.

 

[Polpessa]

I love you guys!!
Thanks so much for the very useful info...by the way Kupu, I will be going to Manila and Bali soon, any chance I can find any of these books in either place? If so, where?

 

[Kupu]

I have found the bookstores in Manila ok lang (just ok), good for general reading material. But it might be tough to find specialized books on marine ID in stock, best luck at dive equipment stores. I haven't looked for marine ID books in Bali, but I am thinking it could also be difficult to find an exact title in stock there. You might get a better answer in the local (PPD & Indonesian) forums for bookshops offering these.

If you are looking for the Nudibranch ID books mentioned here, really best to order online before you go...they are not widely available in bookstores.

BTW, looks like a Dirona albolineata shot on your profile?, nice, I reckon you got that shot in BC?

 

[Kim]

The two I have:

• Coral Reef Animals of the Indo Pacific - Gosliner/Behrens/Williams
• Tropical Pacific Invertebrates - Colin/Arneson

The second one covers the nudis.

 

[vladimir]

hubby says:
1001 Nudibranchs
Catalogue of Indo Pacific Sea Slugs
by Neville Coleman

Neville Colemans World of Water Marine Publications and Aquatic Photo Index.

I spent a couple of weeks with Neville in PNG. He is a great guy, quite a character, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of nudibranchs in particular and taxonomy in general. If you ever get the opportunity to dive with him or hear him speak, seize it.