Marine Invertebrates

[ragc]

Marine Invertebrates 500+Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. has been very helpful to me in identifying stuff I see at the LFS. It is a pocketbook size soft cover published by Microcosm and TFH and it's pretty inexpensive (under $20.00 US, if I remember correctly). It has good photos and concise information. Each animal entry has sections on Maximum Size, Range, Minimum Aquarium Size, Lighting, Foods and Feeding, Aquarium Suitability/Reef Aquarium Compatibility, and Captive Care.
The information is brief, but complete and detailed enough for you to decide at the LFS if you should pass on that Percnon gibbesi Sally Lightfoot crab you like so much in the tank in front of you.

[Bruce]

ya i love that book, im thinking of picking it up soon, im almost done with the Marine Fishes 500...I agree that although the info is limited, it is good enough for some of the tough decisions

[Boomer]

For starts and then adding on down the list (important ones);

Reef Invertebrates, Anthony Calfo
Aquarium Corals, Eric Borneman
Invertebrates, Julian Sprung
Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific
Baensch Marine Atlas, Vol 1,2 & 3
Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Filed Guide, Gerald Allen
Tropical Pacific Invetebrates, Patrick Colin
Reef Fish, all volumes, Scott Michael
Corals of the World, Vol, 1, 2 & 3, Jen Veron
Filed Guide to Anemonefishes and their Host Sea Anemone, Daphne Fautin
Soft Corals and Sea Fans, Katharina Fabricius
Corals, Julian Sprung


Then things start to go to more specifc groups, I'll just throw out a few of mine or I would be here all day


Micronesian Reef Fish, Robert Myers
Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, John Randall
Corals of the World, Elizabeth Wood
Invertebrates: Tube-, soft and Branching Corals, Peter Wilkens
Invertebrates: Stone and False Corals, Coalonial Anemones, Peter Wilkens
Nudibranchs and Sea Snails, Hlemut Debelius
1001 Nudibranches, Neville Coleman
Crustaceans of the World, Helmut Debelius
Sea Stars, Sea Urchins and Allies , Gordon Hendler
Coral Reef Ascidians of New Caledonia, Claude Monniot
Marine Faltworms, Leslie Newman
Caribbean Reef Plants, Diane Littler
South Pacific Reef Plants, Diane Littler
Filed Guide & Atlas of the Seaweed Resources of the Philipines, Gavino Trono

If your are lucky enogh to find a copy without costing an arm and a leg

Marine Life (inverts only) , David Geroge ( our first real ID book on invertebrates)
Readers' Digest Book of the Great Barrier Reef (our first book brought into this hobby that explained things, it is our Father book of the hobby). The full sized one 385 pages

I have a couple hundred ID books

[rickzter]

ragc, you should write a detailed review. Talk to Matt about maybe featuring it on the site. Might look into it.

[monkey]

ive been using the pockexpert guide marine fishes, for about 2 years. i love this book.

[acenia]

I have them both, fish and inverts. Love them both. Great for quick ID's and info.

[monkey]

yeah i just rebought the both of them. my boss loved it so much i gave it to him!

[coral reefer]

Don't forget the 3 volume set by Delbeek and Sprung>"The Reef Aqaurium" It is an awesome display of everything you always wanted to know to make you successful and make the hobby more enjoyable for you!