The World Beneath
The Life and Times of Unknown
Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs
by Dr Richard Smith
★★★★★
Over 500 5-star ratings on Amazon!
____
“A surprise-filled delight
from start to finish!”
– DIVER Magazine
#1 BEST SELLER
#1 Best Seller on Amazon.com in Oceanography, Marine Biology, Nature & Wildlife Photography, Zoology, Endangered Species, Ecology of Oceans & Seas, Ichthyology, Nature & Ecology, Coral Reef Ecosystems & Underwater Photography books.
Meet the sea’s most fascinating creatures—see the lives and curiosities of charmers and tricksters—many newly identified and some on the verge of extinction.
From one of the world’s premier marine biologists, an award-winning underwater photographer, and a leading expert on seahorses, comes a spectacular guide to hundreds of the ocean’s fishes and coral reefs.
In this richly informative volume, brimming with new discoveries and more than three hundred colorful images, you’ll swim in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans; you’ll be dazzled in the Coral Triangle and amazed in Triton Bay. Up close you’ll meet the Cenderawasih fairy wrasse, with its florescent yellow streak; the polka-dot longnose filefish; and the multicolored seadragon. There are scarlet-colored corals, baby-blue sponges, daffodil crinoids, and all sorts of mystifying creatures that change color at the drop of a hat. The whale shark is almost larger than life and the author’s beloved pygmy seahorse, unless photographed, is almost too tiny to see.
The wondrous creatures inside excel in the arts of seduction and deception, and you’ll have the rare chance to see and delight in their antics. You’ll also learn what they eat, how they play, and how they care for one another, live on one another, and mimic others when they’re afraid. There is also compelling insight into the naming process, which creatures are facing extinction, and how we can help them before it’s too late.
312 pages • Over 300 color photographs • Hardcover edition
Published by Apollo Publishers
What Readers Are Saying
“It’s often hard for an expert to communicate effectively with a layman, but Richard Smith manages the tightrope act with aplomb, revealing secrets of coral reefs and some of their smaller, less well-known inhabitants in this fascinating and accessible book. For a diver, it’s one of those rare books, like ‘What a Fish Knows’ that will considerably enhance your understanding and appreciation of what you are looking at as you swim along and add hugely to your enjoyment of our wonderful sport.”
“This guide is not just a tangible thing of beauty but also an enduring record built on proven knowledge, dedication and skill … we did find ourselves returning to re-read sections describing particular reef habitats several times such was their beautifully detailed depiction.”
Media Features
About Dr. Richard Smith
Dr. Richard Smith is a marine biologist and conservationist, an award-winning underwater photographer, an acclaimed public speaker, and a leader of diving expeditions worldwide. He has been on more than 3,500 dives since 1996.
First PhD ever awarded for pygmy seahorse research
Discovered 2 new species of pygmy seahorses (Japanese & South African)
Published hundreds of articles internationally on conservation, marine life, and travel
Member of IUCN Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Group
Global Pygmy Seahorse Expert for iSeahorse.org
Award-winning photographer featured on dozens of magazine covers