Did you know that some fish have transparent organs and blood? And do you know what an endemic fish is? Or that an electric eel is about a metre long and gives a 550-volt shock? Or the cycle of a salmon’s life? Well, if you’ve read Extraordinary Fish, then you certainly would. This book answers all of your questions.
    The topic (and subtopics) of the book was fascinating, especially since I have had the opportunity to dive and snorkel but never knew any of these things about fish. The text was complicated yet understandable. The thing I liked most about the book was by far the photographs. There were some fish that looked so weird—I thought they were upside-down! Before each photograph was a well-written explanation about the fish and its characteristics. I was a little bit disappointed with the cover, of all things. Even though all the rest of the photos were high-calibre, the two on the front seemed a bit boring. The reader would have to pick up the book and look into the pages before deciding “yes, I want to read this book”. I learned lots of stuff while reading Extraordinary Fish. I didn’t know that parrot fish sleep in a coat of mucus to prevent larger predators from smelling them...imagine if humans lived in the life-or-death situation that every fish must face every day and night! And did you know that sand tiger shark embryos fight each other in the uterus and the strongest eats the weakest? Looks like you wouldn’t want to be a weak one...you’d die before you were born!
     My overall impression of the book is that it’s really great, and if you are a diver, snorkeller, or someone interested in fish and their environment, this is the book for you! I would rate the book a 9 out of 10.

(Originally published in the Sept/Oct 2002 issue of YES Mag.)