Marine Life

Shrimps are a common feature of most Victorian rockpools. Most species, however, aren’t that easy to identify. They move quickly and can have translucent features. This guide aims to help amateur naturalists and beachcombers identify the common species of shrimps, prawns and lobsters.

How Is The Information Structured?

There are 32 pages dedicated to the introductory content, with the remaining 80 dedicated to species profiles. This allows the reader to get a solid understanding of the basics without getting overwhelmed. The introduction covers taxonomy, habitats and ecology. The tone is very beginner-friendly, although it is likely that you will need to return to these chapters to remember specific terms.

The later chapters are organized into either orders, infraorders or subfamilies. While that sounds complex, it is just a method of grouping similar species. The chapters are then broken down into families and, finally, species. Each family is briefly described.

Some chapters are relatively short; featuring just two families and one species per family. However, I found the structure easy to follow.

Species Profiles

Most of the species featured are the different types of shrimp. There are only a couple of species in the chapters for krill, lobsters and prawns. I was initially overwhelmed by the inclusion of additional species, but it is understandable considering the physical similarities.

Each page features 2-3 profiles. These profiles have information on the species physical attributes, habitats/range and size. In some sections, the species description is just three lines. I would have been interested in additional information, even if that information fell outside the range of a standard field guide. The information, however brief, is useful. They focus on the differences between species, especially in cases where some species look superficially alike.

In most cases, you get one image of a species. In some cases, you can get up to three images if the species has variations. I was frustrated with the image quality of some species, but this is understandable considering their small size. I also would have liked maps of a species known range.

Do I recommend it?

I wouldn’t recommend this for the casual naturalist. The size of the shrimp and their quick movements can make identification difficult. I’d recommend a general marine guide or the guide to crabs.

This book is great if you’ve developed a special interest in shrimps. You will likely need to track down additional resources; however, the guide should suffice for identification.

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I rarely noticed crabs when walking along the beach. That all changed when I started to visit Apollo Bay (Victoria), most school holidays. We would find multiple species of crabs each visit and wanted to learn more about them. There was so much diversity in the one harbour! I bought this book to help me figure out the exact species I was seeing.

The Introductory Section Was Too Brief

I understand the need for brevity when compiling a field guide. However, I think readers could have benefited from a lengthier introduction that was more user-friendly. Crabs are different from the land wildlife that most people encounter and require different terminology. An example is the ‘growth and development’ section. The authors discussed the reproductive cycle and how crabs have a planktonic stage at the start of their life. This section was a bit too jargon-heavy, and I often found myself flipping back to earlier parts of the book. This may be a struggle for those who are just starting out with crab identification. It is worth the steep learning curve.

The price is also a deterrent.

You are paying $25 for a book that is just 60 pages. Other books in the series, such as the Guide To Sponges, are the same price despite being twice the length. This isn’t a criticism, as I appreciate Museum Victoria publishing guides on such niche topics.

Species Profiles

Despite the above criticisms, I was pretty impressed with the specifics profiles. This guide has profiles on 63 species  of crabs that are commonly found in the intertidal environment. The species are organized according to family. For many families, an illustration is provided to help you tell the species apart. These often focus on the smaller details of the carapace. I referred to these sections more often then I would have thought.

Each page features 2-3 species. Each profile has one image, a brief paragraph on identification tips and details on the habitat and range. The identification tips are very focused on the beginner. Sometimes the authors will point out the key ID points, such as the colours of their claws, or will explain how to tell the species apart from a similar one.

This is enough to help you with most identifications. I did wish that the profiles were longer and included more images of variations you can get within a species. There have been times that I’ve struggled due to lack of experience such as the European Shore Crab. Having pictures from different angles would have been useful. I would have also liked photos showing the differences between the genders.

These criticisms have come from troubles I’ve had trying to identify species from photos. In some cases, I hadn’t taken a photo of the exact features I needed. This will change with experience. More information would have lessened the learning curve.

Do I recommend it?

Yes, I do. My criticisms stem from a fascinating with local marine life and the subsequent desire to learn more about my local crab species. I wish this book had been more comprehensive, as that would have helped me learn a lot quicker. Yet I’m so grateful that it exists. I’ve learned a lot despite the guides limitations.

Those on a budget may find it more economical to get a more comprehensive guide that includes multiple marine species. However, those guides wouldn’t have the close-up illustrations comparing species within a family.

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Life on the Rocky Shores is one of my favourite books for beginner rockpoolers. The guide is a compact (148mm x 105mm) guide that features 96 species that are commonly found along the shores of South-Eastern Australia. It has since become one of the first books I check when trying to identify intertidal marine life.

It Is Very Practical

One of the first things I look for when reviewing books is whether it is easy to understand for the total beginner. This is one of the most user-friendly guides.

Unlike some other field guides, this isn’t a book that you need to read sequentially. You can flip through and look for the species you are after. I prefer to find first and research later so very much appreciated this. The introductory information isn’t overwhelming, nor does it bog readers down with technical terms. It focuses on the essentials and quickly moves on to species profiles.

It is also handy because of it’s compact size. I can quickly put it in a backpack and not notice the weight, nor does it take up much room. This has been an issue with other guides when my bag is already full of camera gear.

Species profiles

The species profiles feature a wide variety of plant and animal species, such as crabs and sea stars. These profiles usually feature one photo, although occasionally you will get two. This is accompanied by information about its appearance, habitat and ecology. These sections are very user friendly. Any technical terms are accompanied by explanatory text. These descriptions discuss:

• • what other species the plant or animal may be confused with
  • >whether the typical environment differs across different states
  • whether species that are found intertidally are a different size to those found further out
  • Information about breeding and, for some species, planktonic larvae.

This is pretty comprehensive for a book of this size. You can learn how to identify the species and get information about their ecosystems.

Most profiles feature just the one species. In some cases, the pages contain information on multiple species. This is the case with the Austrocochlea top shells, where two winkles are featured. There is a second top shell page where species from two genera are featured. These examples focus on species that are visually similar and explain the differences between species.

There are also a couple of pages at the end dedicated to helping identify other life forms you may come across, such as egg masses and flotsam/jetsam.

I was able to identify a lot of animal life based after consulting this guide. I did struggle with identifying plant life. This is partially due to a lack of confidence. I was also disappointed that no fish were featured.

Do I recommend it?

Yes. It is an affordable and compact book to help you get started with identifying marine life you may find in rockpools.

You will likely outgrow the book within a year or so. This isn’t a fault of the guide, as it already covers such a diverse range of plants and animals. The marine world is very similar to the insect one, and the 96 featured species covers just a fraction of what you can find. However, it is one of the best guides for beginners and will significantly lessen your learning curve.

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