THE BOOK OF INDIAN SHELLS by Deepak Apte, first published by the BNHS-OUP in 1999, and widely used as a field guide for many years, is now out of print and also outdated from the taxonomic point of view. Taxonomy is rapidly evolving, especially for lower taxa; several names have changed since aThe Book of Indian Shellsa was published. Several species have been rearranged taxonomically or newly described. SEA SHELLS OF INDIA is an updated version of THE BOOK OF INDIAN SHELLS not just with regards to taxonomy, but also with respect to quality of illustrations. The book aims to aid students and researchers in field identification. It covers 488 species of gastropods in colour with comprehensive synonyms, besides 21 plates of live animals, allowing the reader to appreciate the beauty of the animals that reside inside these shells.
The first field guide to the seashells of India, this book describes more than 300 common species, providing precise descriptions of shell morphology, habits and the habitat of each species. It includes 13 full color plates, bibliography, glossary and index of scientific names and will interest both amateur collectors and beginners in conchology.
Who among us hasn’t marveled at the diversity and beauty of shells? Or picked one up, held it to our ear, and then gazed in wonder at its shape and hue? Many a lifelong shell collector has cut teeth (and toes) on the beaches of the Jersey Shore, the Outer Banks, or the coasts of Sanibel Island. Some have even dived to the depths of the ocean. But most of us are not familiar with the biological origin of shells, their role in explaining evolutionary history, and the incredible variety of forms in which they come. Shells are the external skeletons of mollusks, an ancient and diverse phylum of invertebrates that are in the earliest fossil record of multicellular life over 500 million years ago. There are over 100,000 kinds of recorded mollusks, and some estimate that there are over amillion more that have yet to be discovered. Some breathe air, others live in fresh water, but most live in the ocean. They range in size from a grain of sand to a beach ball and in weight from a few grams to several hundred pounds. And in this lavishly illustrated volume, they finally get their full due. The Book of Shells offers a visually stunning and scientifically engaging guide to six hundred of the most intriguing mollusk shells, each chosen to convey the range of shapes and sizes that occur across a range of species. Each shell is reproduced here at its actual size, in full color, and is accompanied by an explanation of the shell’s range, distribution, abundance, habitat, and operculum—the piece that protects the mollusk when it’s in the shell. Brief scientific and historical accounts of each shell and related species include fun-filled facts and anecdotes that broaden its portrait. The Matchless Cone, for instance, or Conus cedonulli, was one of the rarest shells collected during the eighteenth century. So much so, in fact, that a specimen in 1796 was sold for more than six times as much as a painting by Vermeer at the same auction. But since the advent of scuba diving, this shell has become far more accessible to collectors—though not without certain risks. Some species of Conus produce venom that has caused more than thirty known human deaths. The Zebra Nerite, the Heart Cockle, the Indian Babylon, the Junonia, the Atlantic Thorny Oyster—shells from habitats spanning the poles and the tropics, from the highest mountains to the ocean’s deepest recesses, are all on display in this definitive work.
This book offers a unique introduction to the study of shells and molluscs for all those who take pleasure in shells, the treasure of the sea. However, unlike other shell albums, compendiums or guides, the central focus of this book is on shells and not molluscs. Therefore, in addition to the classification and identification of shells, the book also addresses aspects including the shell art and shell craft of Goa, the importance of shells, and literary works related to shells and their writers. The book also describes various shell habitats of Goa. The primary objective of this book is to introduce readers to the concept of shell heritage and to spark curiosity and scientific interest, not just among conchologists but also local and visiting beachgoers. Accordingly, it primarily uses straightforward, non-technical language. The book will also appeal to those readers without any previous knowledge of the subject, helping them to understand and appreciate the shells that they collect from the seashores of Goa.
A Science Friday Best Science Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Year A Library Journal Best Science and Technology Book of the Year A Tampa Bay Times Best Book of the Year A stunning history of seashells and the animals that make them that "will have you marveling at nature…Barnett’s account remarkably spirals out, appropriately, to become a much larger story about the sea, about global history and about environmental crises and preservation" (John Williams, New York Times Book Review). Seashells have been the most coveted and collected of nature’s creations since the dawn of humanity. They were money before coins, jewelry before gems, art before canvas. In The Sound of the Sea, acclaimed environmental author Cynthia Barnett blends cultural history and science to trace our long love affair with seashells and the hidden lives of the mollusks that make them. Spiraling out from the great cities of shell that once rose in North America to the warming waters of the Maldives and the slave castles of Ghana, Barnett has created an unforgettable history of our world through an examination of the unassuming seashell. She begins with their childhood wonder, unwinds surprising histories like the origin of Shell Oil as a family business importing exotic shells, and charts what shells and the soft animals that build them are telling scientists about our warming, acidifying seas. From the eerie calls of early shell trumpets to the evolutionary miracle of spines and spires and the modern science of carbon capture inspired by shell, Barnett circles to her central point of listening to nature’s wisdom—and acting on what seashells have to say about taking care of each other and our world.
