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Review
This is a reference anyone in any age group or level of knowledge could use easily. You don't need to be a shark fan for Sharks of the World to be a useful addition to your library: this is one book I'd recommend to any diver or naturalist any day. -- Virginia Cowell, Diver Magazine
The reader learns about shark biology (body structure, teeth and jaws, senses, life history, etc) and the interactions between sharks and people, both good and bad. This is a very nice, handy-sized guide for those interested in sharks and their conservation. -- Robert E. Hoopes, Wildlife Activist
The amazing diversity of these magnificent yet maligned animals is wonderfully represented here. -- Christine Adkins, Discovery
The reader learns about shark biology (body structure, teeth and jaws, senses, life history, etc) and the interactions between sharks and people, both good and bad. This is a very nice, handy-sized guide for those interested in sharks and their conservation. -- Robert E. Hoopes, Wildlife Activist
The amazing diversity of these magnificent yet maligned animals is wonderfully represented here. -- Christine Adkins, Discovery
Product Description
Everyone's heard of the Great Whites. But most people know little of the hundreds of other types of sharks that inhabit the world's oceans. Written by two of the world's leading authorities and superbly illustrated by wildlife artist Marc Dando, this is the first comprehensive field guide to all 440-plus shark species. Color plates illustrate all species, and detailed accounts include diagnostic line drawings and a distribution map for each species. Introductory chapters treat physiology, behavior, reproduction, ecology, diet, and sharks' interrelationships with humans.
- More than 125 original full-color illustrations for fast and accurate identification of each shark family
- Over 500 additional drawings illustrating physical features from different angles
- Clear identification information for each species with details of size, habitat, behavior, and biology
- Quick ID guide helpful for differentiating similar species
- Geographic distribution maps for each species
- For professional and amateur shark enthusiasts
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13 reviews
38 of 38 people found the following review helpful
AT LAST, AT LAST, AT LAST!!!
18 Nov 2005
Format:Paperback
It's finally here -- THE DEFINITIVE and COMPLETELY (yes, very literally) EXHAUSTIVE shark guide. I've just picked up my copy and it still feels like a dream. As a serious shark enthusiast, this is the book that I have always dreamed about but has never existed, until now. If you're a shark enthusiast, it would be a tragedy not to acquire this book. Here's why:
(1) There are lavish full color illustrations of every single species of shark known today -- 404 described species and 49 as-yet-undescribed species on 64 plates, each species in oblique view (not the usual profile shot), giving invaluable information on its shape in 3 dimensions. In addition to the most popular species (such as the great white or the blacktip reef shark), the least well known are also included in this book, such as Deania quadrispinosum or Etmopterus pusillus, or new species, such as Isistius labialis or Somniosus antarcticus. There are 3 plates of 18 species of angel sharks (Squatinidae)! All 5 species of Oxynotus are included! Nine species of saw shark (Pristiophoridae)!
(2) All breath-takingly accurate illustrations are by the same artist, ensuring consistent style. Mark Dando is among the most accomplished of shark artists; his attention to detail is truly astounding. As a discriminating and accomplished fellow natural history artist, I know what I'm talking about. Having said that, please understand that the illustrations chosen for the cover, while wonderfully accurate, are not representative of the exquisite skill demonstrated in his illustrations of more colorful species, such as the ornate wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus). Therefore, at the risk of sinking in the mire of cliche, I nevertheless urge you not to judge this book by its cover!
(3) The work is truly exhaustive, not only in the number of species depicted. Where there is sufficient variation within a species, additional color illustrations depict sexual dimorphism, juvenile forms and races. All species are presented to scale with each other and a scale bar is provided for easy size comparisons.
(4) For those with a taste for the traditional practice of depicting sharks in profile line drawings, the illustrator satisfies in the textual portion of the book. Again, every single species is beautifully presented in a fine ink line drawing from the side (or from the top in angel sharks and saw sharks). With every species is included a detailed range map, and for most species the teeth are also illustrated. For many, the ventral view of the head is also presented.
(5) The text reads like a field guide, providing detailed notes on the measurements, distinguishing features, distribution, habitat, behavior, biology and status of each species, written by leading authorities on sharks. It even includes a checklist at the end so that shark watchers can record their sightings in the field.
I am completely confident that no shark enthusiast will be disappointed in this book. Seriously folks, the editorial review provided by the publisher for this book underestimates its worth. It's truly a gem and will probably remain the definitive reference and the ultimate field guide for a long, long time.
(1) There are lavish full color illustrations of every single species of shark known today -- 404 described species and 49 as-yet-undescribed species on 64 plates, each species in oblique view (not the usual profile shot), giving invaluable information on its shape in 3 dimensions. In addition to the most popular species (such as the great white or the blacktip reef shark), the least well known are also included in this book, such as Deania quadrispinosum or Etmopterus pusillus, or new species, such as Isistius labialis or Somniosus antarcticus. There are 3 plates of 18 species of angel sharks (Squatinidae)! All 5 species of Oxynotus are included! Nine species of saw shark (Pristiophoridae)!
(2) All breath-takingly accurate illustrations are by the same artist, ensuring consistent style. Mark Dando is among the most accomplished of shark artists; his attention to detail is truly astounding. As a discriminating and accomplished fellow natural history artist, I know what I'm talking about. Having said that, please understand that the illustrations chosen for the cover, while wonderfully accurate, are not representative of the exquisite skill demonstrated in his illustrations of more colorful species, such as the ornate wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus). Therefore, at the risk of sinking in the mire of cliche, I nevertheless urge you not to judge this book by its cover!
(3) The work is truly exhaustive, not only in the number of species depicted. Where there is sufficient variation within a species, additional color illustrations depict sexual dimorphism, juvenile forms and races. All species are presented to scale with each other and a scale bar is provided for easy size comparisons.
(4) For those with a taste for the traditional practice of depicting sharks in profile line drawings, the illustrator satisfies in the textual portion of the book. Again, every single species is beautifully presented in a fine ink line drawing from the side (or from the top in angel sharks and saw sharks). With every species is included a detailed range map, and for most species the teeth are also illustrated. For many, the ventral view of the head is also presented.
(5) The text reads like a field guide, providing detailed notes on the measurements, distinguishing features, distribution, habitat, behavior, biology and status of each species, written by leading authorities on sharks. It even includes a checklist at the end so that shark watchers can record their sightings in the field.
I am completely confident that no shark enthusiast will be disappointed in this book. Seriously folks, the editorial review provided by the publisher for this book underestimates its worth. It's truly a gem and will probably remain the definitive reference and the ultimate field guide for a long, long time.
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
A must for shark workers and enthusiasts
6 May 2005
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you don't know anything about Leonard Compagno, you should know that he is a very thorough archivist. It was he who cataloged all of the known shark species for the FAO Species Catalog, presumably the basis for this book. The book begins with a small introductory section on sharks (evolution, anatomy, physiology, ecology, etc.) and a key to the families. This is followed by wonderfully drawn color plates of each shark. The individual descriptions of the sharks include a line drawing with notable characters, examples of upper and lower teeth (more if heterodontic), distributions and a short blurb that includes habitat, size, behavior and biology, descriptions and IUCN status. Included are relatively new species and all of the deep-water forms. I cannot imagine needing another guide, at least for the next ten years. New species aren't exactly rolling in. I would recommend, however, a hardback copy for field workers, as paperbacks don't last very long with heavy usage. Also, keep in mind that other elasmobranchs are not included. I have not seen Compagno's much cheaper Collins Guide (only available in hardback), but I do know that this Princeton Guide is worth the money.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Complete and Intriguing
30 May 2006
Format:Paperback
Growing up around brothers and cousins who fish and swimming in the mighty Atlantic, sharks have been a whisper in my life that may get lost in being at the shore. I have been in the water with sharks, caught sharks, discovered dead sharks washed up on the shore, and played the role of amateur ichthyologist (sp?) when a shark was brought in over four feet long.
This book is not for everyone, it is a scientific almanac or encyclopedia of species of sharks that one has never heard of. But it does fill in the great mysteries about those sharks one does encounter, and expands one's curiousity to the other infamous fish in the waters. I held this book in my hand trying to determine if a still flopping shark of 48" was a bull shark or a sandbar shark... the book succeeded where wisened fishermen failed. It would be welcome in the hands of the curious, the fisherman, or the student.
This book is not for everyone, it is a scientific almanac or encyclopedia of species of sharks that one has never heard of. But it does fill in the great mysteries about those sharks one does encounter, and expands one's curiousity to the other infamous fish in the waters. I held this book in my hand trying to determine if a still flopping shark of 48" was a bull shark or a sandbar shark... the book succeeded where wisened fishermen failed. It would be welcome in the hands of the curious, the fisherman, or the student.
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