pp. 554, colour illusts. Detailed identifiers. Revised Edition of this standard reference work. #1016/0720 Few people know of the immense variety of marine plants and animals that inhabit the temperate waters of the southern half of the Australian continent and Tasmania. Here, many species rival their better known tropical relatives in colour and ornamentation – especially the vividly decorated crustaceans, molluscs and fish.

In this book, marine scientist Dr Graham Edgar describes 1,200 of the most commonly seen plants and animals of the region, including notes on their habitat and distribution, and these are illustrated with more than 1,300 full colour photographs. Detailed enough to be valuable to academic biologists, this book contains a wealth of information for divers, beachcombers and those who fish professionally or for recreation. It is the definitive reference work of its kind.