Shells of the World - (Guide to Every Family) by M G Harasewych (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Mollusks are invertebrate animals with a remarkable natural history and a rich fossil record, and their shells are prized for their breathtaking variety and exquisite beauty. Shells of the World provides a wide-ranging look at the incredible diversity of marine mollusks. An informative introduction outlines the lineages covered, followed by a directory section, split into classes, that profiles a broad selection of different taxa to give a sense of their sheer numbers and variety."--

Book Synopsis

A marvelously illustrated natural history of the world's mollusks

Mollusks are invertebrate animals with a remarkable natural history and a rich fossil record, and their shells are prized for their breathtaking variety and exquisite beauty. Shells of the World provides a wide-ranging look at the incredible diversity of marine mollusks. An informative introduction outlines the lineages covered, followed by a directory section, split into classes, that profiles a broad selection of different taxa to give a sense of their sheer numbers and variety.

• Features hundreds of beautiful color photos, depicting both the live animals and their shells
• Discusses mollusk evolution, anatomy, life cycles, behavior, and ecology
• Describes unique characteristics, distribution, habitat, and size
• Provides valuable insights into the conservation of the world's marine mollusks
• Ideal for malacologists and shell collectors everywhere

Review Quotes

"Of interest to specialists and non-specialists alike, with well-organised informative content and abundant colourful and striking illustrations."---Dr. A. M. Mannion, The Biologist

"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year"

"[A] lovely book."---Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown, Scubaverse

"The quality of the photographs is excellent, as is the quality of production of the book, and it is gratifying to see so many images of living animals as opposed to just the shells. These images alone make the book worth buying. . . . I would definitely recommend this book to collectors who wish to extend their knowledge of the biology of molluscs."---Julian Joseph, Pallidula

""Beautifully illustrated. . . . [and] highly-recommended.""-- "Choice"

"Here is a book, authored by a renowned expert, wonderfully narrated and replete with sensational illustrations that will fill in the gaps in your knowledge."---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds

About the Author

M. G. Harasewych is research zoologist emeritus and former curator in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he is the author (with Fabio Moretzsohn) of The Book of Shells: A Life-Size Guide to Identifying and Classifying Six Hundred Seashells.