National Audubon Society Field Guide To Tropical Marine Fishes: Caribbean, Gulf Of Mexico, Florida, Bahamas, Bermuda Download Free (EPUB, PDF)

                
              
National Audubon Society Field Guide To Tropical Marine Fishes: Caribbean, Gulf Of Mexico, Florida, Bahamas, Bermuda Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
The most comprehensive field guide available to the tropical fishes of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. All 417 photographs are in full color, capturing the natural beauty of the fishes on coral reefs and other habitats of tropical marine waters. The species photographs are keyed to full text descriptions of more than 400 species, each with its own range map. The text also includes brief coverage of nearly 800 additional species. Detailed endpaper maps, precise black-and-white drawings, and an illustrated family key supplement this authoritative and visually stunning resource.The National Audubon Society Field Guides group species according to taxonomy and shape. Helpful thumb-tab silhouette keys make identification quick and easy.
Vinyl Bound: 720 pages
Publisher: Knopf; 1 edition (September 16, 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 067944601X
ISBN-13: 978-0679446019
Product Dimensions:  4.1 x 1 x 7.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:  4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #140,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)   #3 in Books > Travel > Caribbean > Bermuda   #5 in Books > Travel > Caribbean > Bahamas   #51 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Fish & Sharks
A few years ago, I bought the Audubon Society Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes and found when I tried to use it in the Florida Keys that there were many fish I couldn't identify. People recommended I buy Paul Humann's book, "Reef Fish Identification." The book is more expensive, but I found it to be far more comprehensive and user friendly. For example, many fish look entirely different when in their "juvenile," "initial" or "terminal" phase, and the "Reef Fish Identification" book has clear photos of each of the three stages shown beside each other, and frequently includes photos of alternate color phases as well. The Audubon book usually just shows a picture of the fish in just one phase, and often not a terribly good photo at that. Next to each photo in the Humann book is an excellent line drawing of the fish, highlighting and labeling which features of a fish are most dependable for identification. The Audubon book includes no such diagrams to aid identification. Finally, the Humann book is based upon both an extensive bibliography and collaboration with field biologists, and if the detailed descriptions in his book of definitive features for discriminating species of fish are correct (and experienced scuba divers tell me they are correct) then some of the pictures in the Audubon guide are actually even misidentified as to species. For example, the Audubon picture labeled as a "Leopard Goby" is almost certainly a picture of an "Orange-sided Goby" (if the Humann book is correct about dark lines outlining the orange rectangles being a reliable discriminating feature). If there were no other reef fish identification book available, I would have given the Audubon book more stars, I am usually a great fan of the Audubon Field Guide series, but in comparison with the Humann book it just doesn't rate very well. I should add that I have never met, nor have any private or professional association with, the author of either of these books, so my opinion is not biased by any such affiliation. Finally, I should add that I am pleased nevertheless to own both of these books because, for many species of fish, fish of the same species can be found in a wide variety of colors and patterns, so you can never study too many photos to get a handle on the range of appearances possible for any given species. Buy the Humann book if you can just afford one book, but owning both books is even better!
This is the best book I've seen for identifying fish in this region when snorkeling, diving, or tide-pooling. I own & use several, but if you're only going to buy one guide, this is the one to get.The illustrations alone would make this better than anything else on the market. Most guides rely on artists' renderings or studio photographs of dead fish. This book illustrates each of over 400 species with a close-up color photograph of a live fish in the water. Incredible.The lay-out is good for identification; fish are grouped together by shape. That means you don't have to know much about fish to quickly look up something you saw. You can then cross-reference it to a complete description.The physical manufacture of the book is also a plus. Its small size and flexibility make it almost unnoticable in luggage or a beach bag. It's also a little water-resistant: my copy has seen more than its fare share of dunkings, and still acts like a book instead of a soggy mess.Of the few criticisms I have of this book, one would be that the index isn't too good (if Rainbow Runner isn't listed under "R", then where is it?). This isn't too much of a shortcoming, though, given that a field guide is usually used to identify species by appearence, not the other way around.If you plan on observing fish in this region, I highly recommend this book.
As a diver and as a hobbyist of home reef systems, I find this book to be indispensible in identifying various reef fishes located in our Eastern waters. The book provides and focuses on distiguishing characteristics and certain behaviors that a diver or a hobbyist might see in encounters with these fish. Contains a great full-color plate section as well as basic outlines/silhouettes and of course brief yet detailed descriptions. An excellent work, now if I could just find its companion for corals....
This book contains wonderful photographs of many tropical marine species. Some of the descriptions of the species, though, use complicated terminology and can be confusing. Other than that, all the features are excellent. After the description of each family of fish, there is a list of genera in that family and information on those genera. Also, each species has its own range map. Species that do not have a photograph are also described briefly. A pretty good book, especially since it has information on so many fish including sharks, rays, eels, and others.
I did find this book very useful, however it is slightly cumbersome to use if you are in a hurry (on the dive boat between sites) so be sure to write down your description of what you saw and look it up later in your hotel. The photos are fairly good (some are a little dark for my taste) and really useful for a beginning diver or snorkler. I would buy it again and plan on getting the campanion Coral Reefs.
The information contained in this book is great, as are all the NAS Field guides. However, the only, small thing i would say is that i wish there were more color photos of the various fish. This thick book is less than half color photos of the fish -- which is what i had wanted. I will have to get another guide to supplement. But, for informational purposes, this book is fantastic.
This book contains wonderful photographs of many tropical marine species. Some of the descriptions of the species, though, use complicated terminology and can be confusing. Other than that, all the features are excellent. After the description of each family of fish, there is a list of genera in that family and information on those genera. Also, each species has its own range map. Species that do not have a photograph are also described briefly. A pretty good book, especially since it has information on so many fish including sharks, rays, eels, and others.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes: Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Bahamas, Bermuda Coral reefs: A guide to the common invertebrates and fishes of Bermuda, the Bahamas, southern Florida, the West Indies, and the Caribbean coast of ... America (Roger Tory Peterson field guides) A Field Guide to Coral Reefs of the Caribbean and Florida Including Bermuda and the Bahamas (The Peterson Field Guide Series) National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World (National Audubon Society Field Guides (Hardcover)) National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees--W: Western Region (National Audubon Society Field Guides (Paperback)) National Audubon Society Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals: North America (National Audubon Society Field Guides (Paperback)) National Audubon Society Field Guide to Seashore Creatures: North America (National Audubon Society Field Guides (Hardcover)) National Audubon Society Field Guide to New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont (National Audubon Society Regional Field Guides) A Field Guide to Southeastern and Caribbean Seashores: Cape Hatteras to the Gulf Coast, Florida, and the Caribbean (Peterson Field Guides) National Audubon Society Pocket Guide: Familiar Butterflies of North America (National Audubon Society Pocket Guides) Snorkeling Guide to Marine Life Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas Atlantic Reef Corals; A Handbook of the Common Reef and Shallow-Water Corals of Bermuda, the Bahamas, Florida, the West Indies, and Brazil Reef Fishes of the Indian Ocean: A Pictorial Guide to the Common Reef Fishes of the Indian Ocean (Pacific Marine Fishes) Coral Reefs of the Southern Gulf of Mexico (Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies) Reef Fish Identification - Florida Caribbean Bahamas - 4th Edition (Reef Set) Reef Creature Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas 3rd Edition (Reef Set) (Reef Set (New World)) Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas Reef Fish Behavior: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas Reef Creature Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas Coral Reefs of the Caribbean, The Bahamas and Florida 