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BOOK REVIEW
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Realm of the Pygmy Seahorse Photographs and Text by © Constantinos Petrinos Published by Starfish Press ISBN 960-87016-0-0 H 310mm x W 246mm x D 26mm Review This is a high quality hardback book with fly-cover to protect it. The glossy heavyweight paper used is also of very good quality. It contains 256 pages and 186 colour images.Many of the images are either full page or double pages. This is not just your average glossy colourful coffee table book. In addition to the exceptional images it also contains educational content of equal quality. Contents
In the Introduction, Constantinos introduces us to the Indonesian Archipelago, including some of its history and the people. We are also given an overview of Kunkungan Bay Resort located in the Lembeh Straits, which was the base of operations for the book. For those of you that are not inclined to dive every waking moment Constantinos has also included a few pages about the other attractions that the area has to offer. We are given an insight into Dive Planning, the KBR Guides and the Dive Sites at which the images were taken. In the second chapter we are made aware of the logistics nightmare and planning involved in a 5 month dive trip. Detailed descriptions of the photography equipment used to capture the 25000 images. Conservation issues affecting the Lembeh Straits and work of the Lembeh Strait Preservation Society is covered. The Coral Reef - A Community Of Chaotic Harmony is the third chapter in which we gain the first insight into diving in Lembeh. Constantinos describes some of the rare interactions he witnessed and was able to photograph during the 320 dives he did during his stay. In the chapter on Survival Recipes the strange living associations and effective methods of camouflage that marine creatures use in order to remain safe. Muck diving is the name given to diving which takes place in places where there is black silty sand which also seems to correspond with an amount of rubbish deposited from boats and local villages. In the chapter Innovative Housing Concepts we see how marine life is utilising the rubbish produced by humans to provide them with housing and protection. Reef Sex is a chapter that needs little introduction except to say that it includes photographs and information about the way in which a number of different species are born, mature and procreate. Life that can be found in and amongst the arms of crinoids can be found in Crinoid Community, including the Crinoid clingfish, Squat lobsters and the Crinoid shrimp. Snails and nudibranchs can be found on nearly every dive in Lembeh, with Constantinos having included some of the rarer and more interesting ones in this chapter. In the chapter Seahorses & Pipefishes we are shown why Lembeh has become so well known. The variety and diversity of marine life that can be found in Lembeh is astonishing. One of its most well known inhabitants is the Pygmy Seahorse along with the various varieties of robust, ornate and halimedia ghost pipefish. The Fishes chapter does not contain your average reef fish but shows us some of the bizarre fish that live in the Strait. Images of many different types of Frogfish are shown including the Striated, Painted, Clown and Wartskin etc. Also covered are the many varieties of Ambon, Weedy and Raggy Scorpionfish. The rest of the chapter contains other rare fish found in Lembeh. The remaining chapters are self explanatory.
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