Book Reviews

D. Desbruyères, M. Ségonzac and M Bright . ( eds ) 2006 . Handbook of Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vent Fauna . Second completely revised edition . Denisia 18 . 544 pp . ISBN 103-85474-154-5 . Price: € 49.00 ([email protected]) .

It was not until 1977 that the first species in an hydrothermal marine ecosystem was discovered by Alvin at the Galapagos Spreading Center. The present handbook documents no less than 500 species from more than 90 vent fields in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian Oceans, and especially in the Pacific most of the species were described after 1990. More than 80 authors have been involved in this documentation, which comprises not only the well-known large-scale bivalves and giant siboglinidan tube-worms (= Pogonophora), but representatives of quite a number of higher marine taxa, including protists (Foraminifera), meiofauna (e.g. Nematoda, Polychaeta, Halacarida, Copepoda, Ostracoda) and parasites (e.g. Hirudinea, Nemertea). Most abundant are Crustacea and Polychaeta, the latter with many scale worms and alvinellidan tube-worms. The book inspires by its excellent setup. There are references and detailed description together with a wealth of outstanding illustrations for each species: line-drawings, glossy printed photos in colour as well as in black and white (high-quality SEM micrographs, in particular). Rather spectacular are wonderful in situ colour photos showing unspoilt habitats and the faunal elements in their natural state. Biodiversity literature at its best and for an astonishingly low price!

Thanks are due to the Oberösterreiches Landesmuseum in Linz.