"This
little book is bursting at the seams with good, solid information... Throughout
the book [the author] subtly teaches you Hawaiian history, culture, language,
and customs.... Some of the photos will leave you gasping in disbelief--surely
no fish could be so vivid!" - Freshwater
& Marine Aquarium Magazine
"It's hard to imagine more
useful information in such a small book, and useful to both residents and visitors
alike.... The color printing is gorgeous. How Mutual Publishing can deliver
this much color at the price is a mystery." -
Maui News
Hawaii's Fishes,
a Guide for Snorkelers and Divers 2nd edition by John
P. Hoover
6x9 inches, 207 pages, 430
color photographs. September 2007. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu, Hawaii. $16.95
5th
printing (updated) Aug. 2014
contains numerous updates and corrections. See "Updates" below.
This is my
best selling book. First published in 1993
(with the subtitle "a guide for snorkelers, divers, and aquarists"),
it went through 11 printings before this totally revised 2nd ed. came out in
September 2007. Hawaii's Fishes 2nd ed. describes and illustrates the
265 fish species most likely to be seen by snorkelers and divers in Hawai`i.
It includes pointers on where to find a particular fish, what it eats, its size,
old Hawaiian lore, and much more. Fish
families are organized alphabetically for easy reference.
The introduction
includes an expanded 12-page guide to Hawaii's best snorkel and dive sites,
with maps and driving directions.
And for this new edition I also added several pages of detailed information
on Hawaii's ever-popular sea turtles. What
else is different? Well, the title has changed
slightly as I did not include aquarium information in the new edition. I did
the layout myself in order to crop the photos optimally, correct the color,
and cram in as much information as possible. I also increased the number of
species, added lots of pictures of juveniles and/or alternate color forms, and
updated many of the scientific names. It's a better book all around.
People often ask
whether I took the photos myself. Yes, underwater photography is how I got started
with all this—I've become addicted to diving and taking underwater pictures!
But I also used the work of other top Hawaii fish photographers
Reviews Sample
species accounts Updates
Cover:
male Hawaiian Flame Wrasse in display.
Purchase info:
If you live in Hawai`i you can buy Hawaii's Fishes 2nd ed. at dive
shops and bookstores. Costco often carries it too.
Outside Hawaii you
can order from Amazon
or Barnes
& Noble.
If you buy a used copy, be sure it is at least the 2nd ed. (2007).
The latest printing (August 2014) has been extensively updated.
If
you own an iPhone or iPad, consider my apps Scuba
Fish Hawaii and Fish ID Hawaii.
Click on a fish to find out what
it is!
