New World Publications has announced the pre-release of their improved and updated book entitled Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification - Indo Pacific. Containing over 2,248 images, the book describes 1,953 species, including many undescribed ones. It is co-authored by Terry Gosliner, Angel Valdés and David Behrens and is available to pre-order now, with a shipping date of 1 October. It will retail at $60.

Press release

Announcing the publication of:

Nudibranch & Sea Slug Identification – Indo-Pacific

Jacksonville, FL – Sept 01, 2015 – Three leading scientific experts on nudibranchs and sea slugs collaborate to produce a comprehensive guide for divers to the Indo-Pacific. Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens previously worked together on the 2008 publication of Indo-Pacific Nudibranchs and Sea Slugs. The new book Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification - Indo-Pacific is an improved version of that work, including more than 500 additional photos and species.

The Indo-Pacific represents the largest expanse of tropical ocean in the world, stretching from the Indian Ocean coast of southern Africa and the Red Sea to the central Pacific of the Hawaiian Islands, Easter Island and the Marquesas. This region supports the most diverse marine fauna of any place in the world for most groups of organisms. The opisthobranchs (nudibranchs and other sea slugs) are no exception to this rule. There are about 3,000 described species of opisthobranchs in the world and at least 40% of these have been found exclusively in the Indo-Pacific tropics. This book illustrates 1,953 Indo-Pacific opisthobranchs, including many undescribed species.

With the evolution of chemical defenses and the loss of the shell, came the evolution of the bright color patterns that are the signature of nudibranch diversity; vivid colors advertise the presence of toxicity or distastefulness. Other species went down the track of being cryptic, blending in with their surroundings and some evolved amazing strategies of resembling their specific prey. All of this beauty and color is on full display in 2,248 photographs on 408 pages.

Terrence Gosliner is senior curator at the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Geology of the California Academy of Sciences. Terry has devoted his 50-year research career to the scientific study of opisthobranchs and has published many papers and several books. Ángel Valdés is an Associate Professor of Biology at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and Research Associate at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences. Ángel’s research career focuses on the study of the biodiversity, phylogeny and biogeography of nudibranchs and other sea slugs and has published more than 120 scientific papers on these topics as well as several field guides. David Behrens is a retired adjunct professor of Marine Biology and Oceanography at Pierce College in Washington and Research Associate at the California Academy of Sciences. Dave has a prolific career as an opisthobranch researcher and he is best known as the author of field guides and other books on opisthobranchs.