PNW Marine Life Identification resources

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 2:19 pm

Well, since this is the "Diving Education" forum and I'm a big believer in self-education, let's talk BOOKS!

A while back on another board I posted a list of the books I have acquired over the years that cover marine identification here in the Pacific Northwest. Over time my collection has become rather "vast" and it is always useful to me whenever I am trying to figure out what some "new" critter is that I saw during a dive.

Anyway, I thought that my list might be of interest to members of NWDC as well:

Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest. Hardcover. Authors Andy lamb and Bernard P. Hanby. Harbour Publishing, 2005.

Coastal Fish Identification - California to Alaska. Paperback. Author Paul Humann. New World Publications, 1996.

Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest. Paperback. Authors Andy Lamb and Phil Edgell. Harbour Publishing, 1986.

Fishwatchers' Guide to the Inshore Fishes of the Pacific Coast. Paperback. Author Daniel W. Gotshall. Sea Challengers, 1977.

Pacific Coast Inshore Fishes. Paperback. 3rd Edition. Author Daniel W. Gotshall. Sea Challengers, 1989.

Pacific Coast Inshore Fishes. Paperback. 4th Edition. Author Daniel W. Gotshall. Sea Challengers, 2001.

Pacific Coast Nudibranchs. Paperback. 2nd Edition. Author David W. Behrens. Sea Challengers, 1991.

Eastern Pacific Nudibranchs. Paperback. Authors David W. Behrens and Alicia Hermosillo. Sea Challengers, 2005.

Nudibranch Behavior. Paperback. Author David W. Behrens. New World Publications, 2005.

Whelks to Whales - Coastal Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest. Paperback. Author Rick M. Harbo. Harbour Publishing, 1999.

Shells and Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest. Paperback. Author Rick M. Harbo. Harbour Publishing, 1997.

Pacific Reef and Shore - A Photo Guide to Northwest Marine Life. Paperback. Author Rick M. Harbo. Harbour Publishing, 2003.

Seashore Life of Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia and the San Juan Archipelago. Paperback. Author Eugene N. Kozloff. University of Washington Press, 1976.

Guide to Marine Invertebrates - Alaska to Baja California. Paperback. Author Danial W. Gotshall. Sea Challengers, 1994.

Guide to Marine Invertebrates - Alaska to Baja California. 2nd Edition. Paperback. Author Danial W. Gotshall. Sea Challengers, 2005.

Pacific Coast Crabs and Shrimps. Paperback. Author Gregory C. Jensen. Sea Challengers, 1995.

Sea Stars of British Columbia, Southeast Alaska and Puget Sound. Paperback. Author Philip Lambert. University of British Columbia Press, 2000.

Sea Cucumbers of British Columbia, Southeast Alaska and Puget Sound. Paperback. Author Philip Lambert. University of British Columbia Press, 1997.

Reef Sharks and Rays of the World - A Guide to Their Identification, Behavior, and Ecology. Paperback. Author Scott W. Michael. Sea Challengers, 1993.

Seaweeds of the Pacific Coast - Common Marine Algae from Alaska to Baja California. Paperback. Authors Jennifer Mondragon and Jeff Mondragon. Sea Challengers, 2003.

Pacific Coast Pelagic Invertebrates - A Guide to the Common Gelatinous Animals. Paperback. Authors David Wrobel and Claudia Mills. Sea Challengers, 1998.

Octopus and Squid. Paperback. Author James C. Hunt. Monterey Bay Aquarium, 1996.

Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. Paperback. Author Adrienne Mason. Altitude Publishing, 1999.

Marine Invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest. Paperback. Author Eugene N. Kozloff. University of Washington Press, 1996. (not really a marine ID Book, but provides scientific descriptions and drawings of the various species.)

The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific. Paperback. Authors Milton S. Love, Mary Yoklavish and Lyman Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Probably More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast - a Humorous Guide to Pacific Fishes. Paperback. Author Milton Love. Really Big Press, 1996.

Edible? Incredible! A Reference Guide for Saltwater Sealife and Onto the Dinner Table. Paperback. Authors Marjorie Furlong and Virginia Pill. Andover Printing, 1989.

I'm not even going to START listing all of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Sea of Cortez, Gallapagos, Pacific, Asia and Hawaii books there are stacked up around here! Does anyone have any other PNW books that are particularly good and you'd like to recommend? I'd love to know!

- John

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 2:41 pm

I have this one:
Coastal Fish Identification - California to Alaska. Paperback. Author Paul Humann. New World Publications, 1996.

Janna recommended it after I took her class! 1 down, 100 to go!!!

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:20 pm

Wow, John. That is a list of books. Thanks!

Zen Diver v1 · Post by **Zen Diver v1** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 10:39 pm

Dang John, I was going to post but there's no point, you've already listed all of mine!

I also have quite a few warm water ID books, and some hazardous marine life books (but, sigh, they're not PNW).

-Valerie

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 8:59 am

We've got a good list of both fish and invertebrate books listed on the website - plus reviews of what we thought about each one, and which ones we'd recommend buying first. Take a peek if you have time:

Fish: http://www.pnwscuba.com/critterwatchers/fishbooks.htm

Invertebrates: http://www.pnwscuba.com/critterwatchers/invertbooks.htm

- Janna

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:49 am

Great list John!

Thanks!

Now, let's see, how many "Scuba Units" would a VERY large book purchase be?

Amazon, here I come!

diver-dad · Post by **diver-dad** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 3:53 pm

John -

Great list - and lengthy ...

Question for you - which three or four of them would you recommend as being the most useful / your favorites and why?

(i.e.: where would you start?)

Thanks!

Zen Diver v1 · Post by **Zen Diver v1** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 4:44 pm

I know the ones of mine that get used the most are

-Whelks to Whales
-Coastal Fish Identification (Paul Humann)
-Pacific Coast Pelagic Invertebrates (aka "the Jellyfish Book")
-Pacific Coast Nudibranchs (aka "the Nudi Book")

-Valerie

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 5:28 pm

First off, take a look at Janna's link that she posted above - she gives brief critiques on all of the various books that she has that are absolutely invaluable. I admire Janna very much for the knowledge she has amassed on PNW marine life and her drive to share it with others....you can learn MUCH from that lady!

Now....as for MY opinions on the top few books for someone getting started:

FISHES:

Coastal Fish Identification - California to Alaska. The author of this book is Paul Humann, a true gentleman who, along with his business partner, Ned DeLoach, has created an outstanding series of marine identification books covering the entire Pacific as well as the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of California, and the west coast of North America. The photos are superb and the species descriptions easy to understand. The book has something really valuable that other books don't have: each species has a diagram CLEARLY showing the distinguishing features of the fish along with the color photo/s.

Pacific Coast Inshore Fishes. 4th Edition. Author Daniel W. Gotshall. This is a Sea Challengers book and part of a series. This series is fairly inexpensive and has a substantial collection of good color photos as well as brief, clear descriptions of each species. I really like this series and have every one of them, including several editions (as you will notice) of a couple of the titles available. Dave Behrens owns Sea Challengers - he and his wife live in Gig Harbor and he is an active diver as well as being the author of some of the books and a photographer for (I think) all of them.

NUDIBRANCHS:

Eastern Pacific Nudibranchs. Paperback. Authors David W. Behrens and Alicia Hermosillo. Again, a Sea Challengers book, this edition (formerly named Pacific Coast Nudibranchs) just came out in December, 2005. It is a superb book covering nudibranchs from Alaska to the Sea of Cortez.

INVERTEBRATES (Overall):

Guide to Marine Invertebrates - Alaska to Baja California. 2nd Edition. Paperback. Author Danial W. Gotshall. Once again, a Sea Challengers book that came out in late 2005. Again - quality photos and good, easy to read and understand species descriptions, which is the pattern found throughout this series.

CRABS/SHRIMPS:

Pacific Coast Crabs and Shrimps. Paperback. Author Gregory C. Jensen. Yet another Sea Challengers book. I have the 1995 edition, but there is a newer one out there that has some updated information in it. Dr. Greg Jensen, the author, is a professor at the University of Washington School of Fisheries and is THE recognized expert on west coast crustaceans. Since crabs and shrimps fascinate me, I find that I turn to this book frequently and my old copy is getting to be a wee bit dog-eared!

EVERYTHING:

Whelks to Whales - Coastal Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest. Paperback. Author Rick M. Harbo. Harbour Publishing, 1999. If you are on a budget and want a book that covers darn near everything you might find, this is the book for you. The photos a of good quality, although rather small, and the species descriptions are limited in scope, but overall this would be a great first choice for a diver on a budget just getting staterd in PNW marine identification.

Now.......for the diver with extra cash in their pocket, Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest is a hardcover and EXPENSIVE. Authors Andy lamb and Bernard P. Hanby collected photos for YEARS for this project covering EVERYTHING, including seaweeds and algaes up through the vertebrates. It was published by Harbour Publishing in 2005 and can be a real PITA to find a copy of it, although worth it when you finally do. Big and bulky, some would call it a "coffee-table" book, but I keep it in my office and refer to it regularly.

So......now you have my opinion on which books to start with!

- John

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thelawgoddess · Post by **thelawgoddess** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:21 pm

wow; that's a lot of books! i really want the nudi book.

diver-dad · Post by **diver-dad** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:03 pm

John -

Thanks for the advice! This is particularly timely because one of my teenage girls is really into this (not to mention her Dad!).

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:24 pm

I'm "bumping" this thread because I need to start buying some of these books, and because with all the questions (and keep them coming!) about ID'ing different critters it's great to know of available resources should you so desire!

Thanks John, and others, for contributing to this!

-Tom Nic

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 8:03 pm

I love Welks to Whales and I am a big fan of Andy Lambs books. I have 2 copies of Coastal Fishes (one for my dive box/car, one for the store) and Christmas 05, I got the big book. I have read it 3 times and like John, I refer to it often. It is now on the coffee table at the store.

Zen Diver · Post by **Zen Diver** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 8:30 pm

I bought Andy Lamb's Big Book as a Christmas present to myself. What a delight to pour through.

-Valerie

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:55 am

For Christmas my wife gave me a copy of this little gem:

Pacific Seaweeds - A Guide to the Common Seaweeds of the West Coast, by Louis Druehl, Harbour Publishing, 2nd printing, 2003.

- John

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:13 am

John Rawlings wrote:For Christmas my wife gave me a copy of this little gem:

Pacific Seaweeds - A Guide to the Common Seaweeds of the West Coast, by Louis Druehl, Harbour Publishing, 2nd printing, 2003.

- John

Dude... you know you're over the edge when your wife gives you a book on seaweed and you think it's the coolest thing ever!!! :rr:

I love it!!

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:19 am

A whole book on seaweed?! Sound rivoting! I'll stick to fish and inverts for quite a while before jumping into plant life... I think when you can pull the full Latin name of something you didn't see, off the top of your head, just by another diver's description of it, THEN you're ready for plant life.

Zen Diver · Post by **Zen Diver** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:05 am

Hmmm... I have that same book....

Not quite sure what that says....

-Valerie

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:51 pm

Anyone have an idea when a new addition to Northwest Shore Dives might be published? I have my old copy but it is pretty dated.

coachrenz · Post by **coachrenz** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 11:12 am

Zen Diver 2 wrote:Hmmm... I have that same book.... Not quite sure what that says....

-Valerie

Me, too. Hmm. Is that bad? I still haven't quite gotten as excited about the plant life as I have about the animals, but, maybe some day.

I am currently waiting for my shipment of ID books that I had to get for myself since I didn't get them for Christmas.

Maybe I will get a whole box full today...

Tim

Huskychemist · Post by **Huskychemist** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 11:56 am

coachrenz wrote:

Me, too. Hmm. Is that bad? I still haven't quite gotten as excited about the plant life as I have about the animals, but, maybe some day.

I am currently waiting for my shipment of ID books that I had to get for myself since I didn't get them for Christmas.

Tim

Hey! Don't I get some credit?!?!? I got you one of the ID books on your list! (And a t-shirt from Belize, no less.)

But I'm with you...the seaweeds just don't hold as much appeal as the animals... Someday...

Happy Snow Day Tim. What's the count? Six? Canyou say, "Teaching in July."?

Ug.

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:06 pm

Just spent a scuba unit and a half on:

-Guide to Marine Invertebrates: Alaska to Baja California, Daniel Gotshall
-Eastern Pacific Nudibranchs: A Guide to the Opisthobranchs from Alaska to Central America, David W. Behrens, Alicia Hermosillo
-Nudibranch Behavior, David W. Behrens, et al
-Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds And Selected Fishes, Andrew Lamb, Bernard P. Hanby

Lots of good readin' ahead!!

Scubak · Post by **Scubak** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:23 pm

Marine life of the PNW by Lamb and Hanby is by far the best book to have...spendy but well worth it.
K

Zen Diver · Post by **Zen Diver** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:24 pm

Good choices Tom!

-Valerie

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:21 pm

Tom Nic wrote:Just spent a scuba unit and a half on:

-Guide to Marine Invertebrates: Alaska to Baja California, Daniel Gotshall
-Eastern Pacific Nudibranchs: A Guide to the Opisthobranchs from Alaska to Central America, David W. Behrens, Alicia Hermosillo
-Nudibranch Behavior, David W. Behrens, et al
-Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds And Selected Fishes, Andrew Lamb, Bernard P. Hanby

Lots of good readin' ahead!!

An oustanding selection! There will be a test in the morning! HA!

- John