Hawaii's Sea Creatures: A Guide to Hawaii's Marine Invertebrates, Revised Edition

by John Hoover

Hawaii's seas teem with life. Living creatures-swimming, creeping, floating or crawling--have invaded every possible undersea habitat. They have multiplied and diversified into every imaginable shape and form, from 20-foot giant squids to tiny creatures living between sand grains. Ninety percent of these animals are invertebrates--animals without backbones. Many are beautiful, a few are bizarre, and all are fascinating. This book leads the reader deeper into the undersea realm with photographs of over 500 species of lobsters, shrimps, crabs, shells, octopus, corals, anemones, urchins, stars, sponges, slugs and a host of other lesser-known creatures. Virtually all the animals encountered by snorkelers, divers and beachgoers in Hawaii are here. Hoover provides scientific, common and Hawaiian names for each animal and a wealth of information on its natural history, ecology, cultural importance and even suitability for aquariums.

Genres: Reference, Nature

366 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

Reviews

[Ken-ichi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best field guides I own. "Marine invertebrates" encompasses an enormous number of species, but Hoover strikes the right balance between capturing that diversity and excluding particularly rare animals for the sake of brevity. He also always notes when he is excluding things, so if you don't find what you're looking for, you know there are still more options. I wish other non-comprehensive field guides did this. He also includes Hawaiian names whenever available, which is super cool. So far I've been SCUBA diving with two charter companies in Hawaii, and both had this book aboard their boats.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love field guides and John P Hoover writes some of the best out there. It's entertaining and easy to use and covers a huge number of species.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to have if you want to know more about invertebrates in hawaii. I go to this all the time when I see something new and I can always find out what it is. A must buy

[Dvecchione · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a science book. It catalogues all of the underwater marine life in Hawaii (with great pictures). Its a great book for reference. I use this as a textbook for my non-profit organization (www.reefquest.org). It was recommended to me by the University of Hawaii Marine Scientists.

[Island Connect Consulting · Rating 3 out of 5]

Invertebrates are amazing! Nice field guide for ocean lovers, tide poolers, and beach combers in Hawaii.