In the Company of Seahorses

In the Company of Seahorses is not a book of fiction, but a beautiful and scientific contribution to the marine conservation of the British Isles. The title will attract the attention of even those with a fringe interest in marine biology. Whilst not a scientific documentation of the coastal marine fauna and flora of southern England, the book nevertheless adds to the evidence that the British Isles still harbour marine life as stunning as that around the coral reefs of the Indo-Australian-Pacific. Highlights for me are the photographs of the magnificent two-spot goby and the common prawn with its `sparkling eyes'. Each photograph is accompanied by informative text, often with a personal message, for example, `The patterns on an Undulate Ray, outlined with rows of white dots, are reminiscent of Aboriginal art.' The main text contains 60 pages devoted to detailed descriptions of seahorses and their habitats. The section `In the company of seahorses' is devoted to other marine life, in particular pipefish, sticklebacks, rays, flatfish, gobies, wrasses, other fishes, crustaceans, bristle worms, cnidarians, molluscs, echinoderms and even wildfowl. There is a short glossary and the index is adequate and informative. In the Company of Seahorses will be a must-have for marine conservationists and will interest most marine biologists. Its hould be in every marine biology library and on every coffee table. At such a low price, it would be an inexpensive but well-received birthday present for many. Barrington (Barry) G. Woodcock in The Marine Biologist