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Sharks of Arabia
Volume 17/Number 12/December 1986
Arabian Sharks Sharks of Arabia. John E. Randall. 148 pp. IMMEL Publishing, London. 1986. £26.00. ISBN 0-90715109-4. Following the success of Red Sea Reef Fishes, first published in 1983 and just reprinted, Jack Randall, Senior Ichthyologist of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Hawaii, undertook the present work. Like that book, this one manages to appeal to both ichthyologist and layman alike. It is scholarly, well-written, and full of interesting information brought together from diverse sources, ranging from his personal experience to obscure scientific papers. About half of the book is devoted to providing a classificatory guide to the sharks of the waters surrounding the Arabian Peninsula, namely the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, northern Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf (or Persian Gulf). Each of the 44 species known in the area is illustrated (25 of them in colour) and described. For the majority of species the teeth, one of the key characters used to distinguish sharks, are also illustrated. The text on each species consists of two parts, one part is a 'Diagnosis' which tells one how to distinguish the shark from other similar species, and one part contains information on the geographic distribution of the shark species, its preferred habitat, feeding habits, and reproduction. Where the history of its scientific natne has been particularly chequered, notes on this may be included, and where a species is known to attack Man, notes on this aspect of the shark's behaviour are also included. This section of the book is excellent. The remaining half of the book acts essentially as an introduction to the classification. It is split into four sections: an introduction to the book as a whole, a chapter on form and function, one on evolutionary history, and fmally one on Man and sharks. The two chapters which follow the introductory one are useful to have in the book but the material they contain is probably better covered elsewhere (Sharks of the World by Rodney Steel, published only last year, springs to mind). They profide a textbook-style introduction to sharks illustrated with diagrams reproduced from various wellknown textbooks. The chapter on Man and sharks which follows is rather better and includes a very interesting summary of shark-attack data, and discussion of the commercial uses of sharks. The book ends with a useful glossary, bibliography (containing over 150 references), and index. As a guide to the sharks of Arabia, the book clearly fulfils its role, but at a price--£26.00 to be precise. This seems excessive. Firstly, there are only about 40 colour illustrations and IMMEL have produced books with almost five times as much colour material for less. Secondly, most of the line drawings are reproduced from other publications. Thirdly, although it might be consid-
ered praiseworthy on educational grounds to include it, about a third of the text appears redundant in a book of this sort. However, when all is said and done, this book is the best available guide to the sharks of Arabian waters and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. ALASDAIR EDWARDS
Reef Fish Red Sea Reef Fishes. John E. Randall. 192 pp. IMMEL Publishing, London. 1986. £32.00. ISBN 0-90715104-3. Jack Randall's excellent guide to Red Sea Reef Fishes, first published in 1983, has now been reprinted. If market trends continue, it is clearly a good investment, having appreciated by 64% over three years, from a modest £19.50 in 1983 to £32.00 in 1986. This is, I am told by the publisher, due to increased printing costs. For those who have found Randall's Hawaiian Reef Fishes or his earlier Caribbean Reef Fishes (first published in 1968, but reprinted in an expanded and revised edition in 1983) invaluable guides to the commoner reef fishes of those areas, this book is of the same high standard. It is copiously illustrated, remarkably comprehensive for a book of this type, and taxonomically up-to-date. Its authoritative text will be invaluable to specialist ichthyologist, general marine biologist, marine aquarist, SCUBA-diver and snorkeller alike. Until the publication of this book, Red Sea fishwatchers have had to put up with second rate general field guides cluttered with inaccuracies and with pictures that often barely resemble the living fish. Or, alternatively, they have had to resort to coffee-table glossies which only illustrate the most common or brightly coloured species found within a few hundred metres of Elat. Here at last, "that most distinguished of fish taxonomists" (to use Sir Peter Scott's words) has put together descriptions of 325 reef fish species matched with 446 colour photographs so that underwater scientist and diving layman alike can know what they are studying, watching or photographing. The book begins with an introduction to the study of fishes and a brief history of ichthyology in the Red Sea. This is followed by a succinct and clear explanation for the non-speciafist of the morphological terms used 571
Arabian Sharks Sharks of Arabia. John E. Randall. 148 pp. IMMEL Publishing, London. 1986. £26.00. ISBN 0-90715109-4. Following the success of Red Sea Reef Fishes, first published in 1983 and just reprinted, Jack Randall, Senior Ichthyologist of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Hawaii, undertook the present work. Like that book, this one manages to appeal to both ichthyologist and layman alike. It is scholarly, well-written, and full of interesting information brought together from diverse sources, ranging from his personal experience to obscure scientific papers. About half of the book is devoted to providing a classificatory guide to the sharks of the waters surrounding the Arabian Peninsula, namely the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, northern Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf (or Persian Gulf). Each of the 44 species known in the area is illustrated (25 of them in colour) and described. For the majority of species the teeth, one of the key characters used to distinguish sharks, are also illustrated. The text on each species consists of two parts, one part is a 'Diagnosis' which tells one how to distinguish the shark from other similar species, and one part contains information on the geographic distribution of the shark species, its preferred habitat, feeding habits, and reproduction. Where the history of its scientific natne has been particularly chequered, notes on this may be included, and where a species is known to attack Man, notes on this aspect of the shark's behaviour are also included. This section of the book is excellent. The remaining half of the book acts essentially as an introduction to the classification. It is split into four sections: an introduction to the book as a whole, a chapter on form and function, one on evolutionary history, and fmally one on Man and sharks. The two chapters which follow the introductory one are useful to have in the book but the material they contain is probably better covered elsewhere (Sharks of the World by Rodney Steel, published only last year, springs to mind). They profide a textbook-style introduction to sharks illustrated with diagrams reproduced from various wellknown textbooks. The chapter on Man and sharks which follows is rather better and includes a very interesting summary of shark-attack data, and discussion of the commercial uses of sharks. The book ends with a useful glossary, bibliography (containing over 150 references), and index. As a guide to the sharks of Arabia, the book clearly fulfils its role, but at a price--£26.00 to be precise. This seems excessive. Firstly, there are only about 40 colour illustrations and IMMEL have produced books with almost five times as much colour material for less. Secondly, most of the line drawings are reproduced from other publications. Thirdly, although it might be consid-
ered praiseworthy on educational grounds to include it, about a third of the text appears redundant in a book of this sort. However, when all is said and done, this book is the best available guide to the sharks of Arabian waters and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. ALASDAIR EDWARDS
Reef Fish Red Sea Reef Fishes. John E. Randall. 192 pp. IMMEL Publishing, London. 1986. £32.00. ISBN 0-90715104-3. Jack Randall's excellent guide to Red Sea Reef Fishes, first published in 1983, has now been reprinted. If market trends continue, it is clearly a good investment, having appreciated by 64% over three years, from a modest £19.50 in 1983 to £32.00 in 1986. This is, I am told by the publisher, due to increased printing costs. For those who have found Randall's Hawaiian Reef Fishes or his earlier Caribbean Reef Fishes (first published in 1968, but reprinted in an expanded and revised edition in 1983) invaluable guides to the commoner reef fishes of those areas, this book is of the same high standard. It is copiously illustrated, remarkably comprehensive for a book of this type, and taxonomically up-to-date. Its authoritative text will be invaluable to specialist ichthyologist, general marine biologist, marine aquarist, SCUBA-diver and snorkeller alike. Until the publication of this book, Red Sea fishwatchers have had to put up with second rate general field guides cluttered with inaccuracies and with pictures that often barely resemble the living fish. Or, alternatively, they have had to resort to coffee-table glossies which only illustrate the most common or brightly coloured species found within a few hundred metres of Elat. Here at last, "that most distinguished of fish taxonomists" (to use Sir Peter Scott's words) has put together descriptions of 325 reef fish species matched with 446 colour photographs so that underwater scientist and diving layman alike can know what they are studying, watching or photographing. The book begins with an introduction to the study of fishes and a brief history of ichthyology in the Red Sea. This is followed by a succinct and clear explanation for the non-speciafist of the morphological terms used 571