Think back to your childhood and try to remember the first time you were introduced to an uncle, aunt, cousin, or grandparent. Do you remember the joy of meeting a new family member? This was a person with whom you could feel immediately familiar, and with whom you could share stories about your past and your future.

It is with this expectation, and immediate familiarity that we at Sea for Yourself welcome this newest addition to the family of New World Publications.

Reef Fish Identification: Tropical Pacific is a monumental achievement. Veteran authors and fish ID experts Gerald Allen, Roger Steene, Paul Humann, and Ned DeLoach have collaborated with New World Publications and Odyssey Publishing to produce what has already proven to be among the most useful of Pacific fish identification books.

The volume utilizes over 2500 photographs to describe about 2000 species of fish. In fact, the clear and concise presentation of so much information is a great accomplishment.

This book employs the familiar and intuitive "Humann/Deloach" method for fish ID. The "table of contents" is really an extensive chart of simple fish drawings divided into twenty main groups. Typical fish categories are defined by easily observable features or behavior and include: Reddish/Big Eyes, Slender Schoolers/Colorful, Odd-Shaped Bottom Dwellers, and Swim with Pectoral Fins/Wrasses.

However, the information quickly transcends the obvious. Each species is typically illustrated by a descriptive color photograph (sometimes several to show different life-cycle phases), and text with common name, Latin name, size, identification distinctions, and distribution.

On our Sea for Yourself snorkeling programs in the Pacific, this book has already become, (and will remain!) one of our most valuable references. And on trips, we will always have our copy available for community use. However, if you would like to learn more about this book now, we suggest contacting the publisher directly at: New World Publications at www.fishid.com or call 1-800-737-6558.

To me it's a bit similar to an Asian restaurant that simply displays photos of the various dishes, rather than attempt a lengthy literal description.

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