The Reef Set: Reef Fish, Reef Creature and Reef Coral (3 Volumes)

Great book a lot information

This is my bible when snorkeling. The full color photos of hundreds of fish, coral and sea creatures are worth the price. Then, there is the detailed information on each species. The authors' deep knowledge of their subject and respect for the ocean shines through every page. When we head to the Caribbean, I always take one of these 3 volumes in the suitcase. Soft cover but excellent quality, I first came across the fish volume of the set on a dive boat that was taking us for a snorkeling excursion. It was much thumbed through but holding up well in the wet environment, and helped me to identify an obscure fish, the Permit, that I have rarely found in other references. I believe this is a recognized standard in the field. If you buy one reference on fish and creature I.D. this should be it. The authors also have a condensed version of one volume made specially for travel.

Great fish ID books that will be fun to share with others after a day of diving or snorkeling!

I didn't realize how good these are until I used several other guides. I use the fish book most. The biggest difference is the small drawings by most photos pointing out the key features for distinguishing one fish species from another. Multiple phases are often shown for fish that change with age or sex. The other information is good - much more than just ID, but also not packed with details only an ichthyologist cares about.The other books are equally high in quality, but with different details. Corals and sponges are so variable that it's impossible to show a picture of every form, but they seem to do a good job under the circumstances. If you want to identify what you have seen or photographed in this part of the world, get these books.

This series is the ultimate guide for the scuba diver. It takes the dive to a whole new level and you become a fish watcher and learn about the habitat.

These guides to caribbean fishes were a beautiful, inspiring, constant companion to me and my wife when we were diving regularly. They are classic, but bulky, and should have been supplanted by discs, on-line, or E-editions long ago.

I own a dive shop in the Mexican Riviera and we used our old copies of these guide for YEARS to help our customers identify what they had seen on their dives. We finally wore them out. It is hard to imagine this many beautiful pictures being taken on film before digital camera went underwater. Great job Paul Humann.

Great set for anyone that snorkels or dives regularly and wants to identify the wildlife