Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. 1986. (Reprint 1993).many colour photogr. maps. XII,644 p.4to.Hardcover.

With the help of Australia's best underwater photographers, the bookrevealsthe fascination of the coral world, from the microscopic detail of theindividual coral polyps, to the sweep and grandeur of the vast reefsthey have built - the largest structures ever made by living creatures.The first systematic reference of its kind, this book provides a readymeans of identifying most species, a reliable nomenclature, up-to-dateinformation on distribution and abundance, and authoritative notes onstructure and biology. In addition, it includes comprehensive sectionson the variety of coral reefs to be found throughout the world and onthe different types of coral communities that exist, like a patchwork ofminiature forests, beneath the water. The work is brought to afascinating conclusion by chapters on biogeography - why species aresituated where they are - and on the geological history of corals, ahistory that can be traced back over 500 million years.