Hawaii's undersea world has long enticed visitors and residents alike, and wildlife is the main attraction. Nowhere else in Hawaii can such a bounty of fascinating and colorful animals be seen at such close range. Most are fishes. Coming in all sizes and shapes, they are everywhere--on the bottom, at the surface, under the sand, in caves, even inside other animals. Their vibrant colors are astounding, their shapes sometimes strange beyond belief. Many have developed elaborate mechanisms of defense--balloons, poisons, hypodermic syringes, electric shocks. Others mimic stones, coral, sponges, plants, crabs, each other--anything to survive and multiply. There are fishes that can fly and fishes that can't swim. Some are as big as a city bus, others the size of a pin.l The variety is endless.

Hawaii's Fishes: A Guide for Snorkelers, Divers, and Aquarists, presents underwater photographs and informative descriptions of over 230 species--almost all the fishes encountered by divers and snorkelers in the islands. Their evolution, classification, and suitability for aquariums are also discussed, and recommendations given on where to best see them.