Sharks
of North American Waters by Jose I. Castro. Retail: $17.95. Amazon
price: $14.36. Pbk.
Reef
Sharks and Rays of the World by Scott Michael. Retail: $24.95. Amazon
price: $24.95. Pbk.
Noted marine biologist and shark expert Leighton Taylor has given us a
very valuable book with "Sharks of Hawaii." Taylor outlines shark biology,
gives species accounts of all the sharks found off Hawaii, and examines
conservation and cultural aspects. Very good book, and well worth the
(cheap!) price. Lots of nice illustrations, including some paintings.
This is just a great book. The book starts with a well-done and
concise yet comprehensive general coverage of
shark anatomy, biology etc. Then, it covers every species of shark found in
North
American waters, with a wonderful line/stipple-point drawing of each, as
well as a similar drawing of the teeth of each species. Then, of course,
there is an excellent write up for each species, covering description,
habitat, and general biology (including reproduction, feeding habits
etc.). Taking all these points into consideration, and the book's incredibly
low price, this book is a must-have.
This book is probably the best general idenfication guide to reef
elasmobranchs of the world. It starts with a general overview of
elasmobranch biology, and then starts with species account. Each species
is illustrated with a color photograph (almost entirely of live sharks and
rays in their natural habitat), as well as a small line drawing
(found at the beginning of each family grouping). Each species also has a
concise but informative write up. If you want an identification guide to
reef sharks and rays (which comprise a large majority of the
total number of species worldwide), this book is perfect. But
keep in mind it is more than an I.D. guide, because it
contains much more species pecific information than most
guides. Recommended.