Book Review: Shells & Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest

Shells & Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest A Field Guide

Shells & Shellfish is exactly the sort of field guide we need more of. It is comprehensive - if you see a clam, chiton or snail out there, it's almost assuredly in this guide. It is colorful - there are excellent, full color photos for each species. And it is well written - Nanaimo biologist Rick Harbo has plenty of experience with field guides and writes clearly and concisely.

THE GOOD STUFF
The guide is full of bonuses. The color plates are attractive and well laid out. There are color coded sections for bivalves, siphons, gastropods, tusk shells and chitons. The section on siphons is unique - color photos and descriptions of the only part of a healthy, undisturbed clam you should see.

The text includes a smattering of biology with accompanying drawings - very helpful in understanding these odd creatures. The species accounts, which are divided taxonomically, include alternate names, size, range, habitat, a verbal description and occasional comments (including edibility). As usual, the comments often make for fascinating reading.

NITTY GRITTY
The standard Harbour field guide size of 14x22cm, it's a substantial 270 pages but still very packable. Color plates form the first third - text with line drawings and b&w photos makes up the rest.

The appendices are very helpful, starting with an excellent (ten page) checklist of all the molluscs that notes which are intertidal and/or edible. This is followed by a short but helpful list of further reading divided into categories and a list of contacts for harvesting and red tide info. There is a glossary of terms as well as a glossary of scientific names explained - not all of them, but still very helpful for remembering. Finally, the index is quite good.

IF I WERE EDITOR
This is an excellent book, but dividing color photos and text descriptions always makes a field guide a little harder to use. With digital printing technologies available now, I would consider putting color throughout (like Harbo's general guide "Whelks to Whales"). If that's too expensive, then instead of repeating habitat info in the color and text sections, I'd bump habitat to text only and include a couple key descriptive field marks so they are right there with the picture. That would make the guide quicker and easier to use for many species.

TAKE IT HOME?
From hardcore seashell freaks to occasional paddlers, this is a fine bookshelf reference that you can also pack on trips.

GORY DETAILS
Shells & Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest
A Field Guide
Rick M. Harbo
Harbour, 1997
270 pg, $24.95 cdn
1-55017-146-1

Shells and Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest can be bought at Amazon.com

Shells and Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest  can be bought at Chapters.ca (Canadian site and Canadian dollars)