Shells and Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest: A Field Guide

Patrick Colgan is the former executive director of the Canadian Museum
of Nature.

In the coastal environment, shelled mollusks are a diverse, abundant,
and fascinating group. Many are long-lived (surviving for up to two
centuries) and esthetically pleasing. Rick Harbo, a marine biologist,
has prepared a comprehensive and authoritative field guide to more than
200 members of this group.

This book’s introduction is followed by two main sections. The first
consists of a colored guide, usefully coded to reflect the four
taxonomic classes. For each species, there are data on common and
scientific names, size, range, and habitat. Identification of bivalves
by siphons is similarly facilitated. The second section contains
descriptions of each species and information on general biology and
ecology, use by humans, methods of determining location, and
conservation.

Supplements include lucid photographs, an index, and valuable
appendices that provide a checklist, references, a glossary, and crucial
information about potential poisoning. This attractively designed volume
is an excellent source book for scientists, educators, and coastal
naturalists.