Book Review: Inshore Fishes of Britain and Ireland
Inshore Fishes of Britain and Ireland by Lin Baldock and Frances Dipper is a book designed for divers and snorkelers to help them identify the wealth of species found near our shores.
What really stands out is how easy this book is to use. One of my favourite things about this book is how it is laid out. The fish are grouped by the habitat you would usually find them in. This really helps the average diver! You can browse the type of dive you were doing, whether it was on a wreck, along a bed of seagrass, or hovering in the blue, you can find the section of the book and then the species that live there. The book is packed full of excellent photos to help you too.
Once you have located the species you are looking for, there is a really handy guide, showing you the habitats that species can be found in, what depth range they usually frequent and a brilliantly easy key to show you their approximate size.
I know this is a book that I will regularly dip into, probably after every dive I do when diving around the UK. If you like to know about what you are seeing underwater, this is a perfect companion for any diver or snorkeler.
What the publisher says:
Fish are a colourful and important part of inshore marine life, much admired by divers and snorkellers. But it can be difficult to accurately identify and record these quick-moving animals underwater. This authoritative, beautifully illustrated photographic guide offers a practical, easy-to-use approach for identifying the fish species commonly seen in the waters around Britain and Ireland, as well as a few vagrant and interesting rare species. The book’s concise text explains how fish can be identified underwater, and is accompanied by numerous photographs of each species in its natural environment and diagrams illustrating key features. The book also clearly indicates the cases when underwater species identification is more difficult. Published in association with the UK’s Marine Conservation Society, the book makes an invaluable addition to the series of marine photographic titles of Seasearch, a species recording project for volunteer sports divers.
- Features individual descriptions of more than 150 species, with information on size, depth range, habitat and distribution in the Seasearch guide icon format
- Illustrates every species in its natural underwater environment
- Emphasises key identification features and possible confusion species
- Includes a “confidence guide” distinguishing between easily recognisable species and those requiring closer examination
- Features longer sections highlighting interesting species, behaviours and other topics
- Provides information on protected species, taxonomy, shifting distributions and conservation status
Additional Information
- Price £22
- ISBN: 9780691249018
- Published: 25th April 2023
- Type: Paperback
- Pages: 288
