Seashells of Eastern Arabia

This long awaited book, by a team of experts, is the most comprehensive guide to the shells of this region ever published, covering some 1273 species. Many of the species included are endemic to the region covered (The Persian Gulf& S. E. Arabian Peninsula) but others occur more widely making this book useful to anyone interested in Indian Ocean shells. Building on the work of the late Kathie Smythe, the extensive field work by the Bosch family - which has resulted in the discovery of many new species, the authors have spent several years preparing this work for publication. This extensive preparation ensures that this will be the authoritative guide to the region's shells for many years to come.

The book commences with a historical review of shell collecting in Eastern Arabia, a survey of factors influencing the molluscan fauna and a look at local habitats. This is followed by a systematic account of the species. Each species is described simply but clearly with details of habitat and distribution. Synonyms are not included unless well entrenched in the literature or of particular regional significance. The distribution given could be confusing in the absence of any other literature, since the range given is for the occurrence within the Eastern Arabian area only. For example for both Harpa amouretta and Cypraea teulerei Masirah Island is given as the range. This is fine for C. teulerei, which has been found living nowhere else but H. amouretta occurs from East Africa to Hawaii, North Australia to South Japan. The majority of species covered are illustrated in superb plates, most near life size, which show both dorsal and ventral views of gastropods and interior and exterior views of bivalves. For variable species multiple specimens are illustrated. Smaller species are well shown in photomicrographs and line drawings. It is, however, a pity that the photographs of some type specimens are not labelled as such - the holotype of Lyria leslieboschae for example.

The overall coverage of species is extremely good, especially for less well known families, and it is pleasing to find the marine pulmonates included. The coverage of turrids is limited to the larger species, however the authors acknowledge that "A comprehensive survey of Eastern Arabian turrids is beyond the scope of this book" and provide a reference to the most detailed survey available (of 1917). I am not sure of the identification of Micromelo undatus which is generally held to have an Atlantic distribution, and would suggest that this is the Indo-Pacific M. guamensis. Several shells are treated as new species "which will be described elsewhere", and a few are only assigned to generic level. Hopefully when these identifications are resolved a list of additional information will be published.

The systematic account is interspersed with short historical and ethnographical notes, which are both entertaining and informative, and is followed by a glossary, a good regional bibliography and the index. It is perhaps unfortunate that the index does not give references to genera although families are listed, so that for example Muricidae is included while Chicoreus is not.

To conclude, this book is highly recommended, it will be an essential reference for anyone studying marine shells from Eastern Arabia, and will be of great value in identifying shells from the wider Indian Ocean.