AuthorHayward, P.J. & Ryland, J.S. (eds)
Year1996
TitleHandbook of the Marine Fauna of North-West Europe
ISBN978 0 19 854055 7
TypeBook/Report
How CompleteCovers approximately 1500 species. This is the vast majority of species likely to be found along our shores.
Sourcereprint with minor corrections edition, 800pp, Oxford University Press
IllustrationsNumerous plates of line drawings in the text
Review (by Malcolm Storey)

A collection of chapters on all the diverse groups of animals likely to be found on the shore or during inshore coastal studies. This is not a field guide, but is intended for use in the lab on living or dead specimens. This really useful work for all who are seriously interested in identifying what they find on the sea-shore has been reprinted almost every year since publication.

It is a shorter version of "The Marine Fauna of the British Isles and north-west Europe" in two (very expensive!) volumes by the same authors. The species selected are those most likely to be found on the shore or during inshore coastal studies. Some groups (like Protozoa) have been omitted. The keys have been simplified and the accounts shortened. Although mostly cut down from the larger work, the Handbook also contains a few species not in those volumes.

The accounts for Ostracods and Copepods in particular are brief and only cover species most likely to be encountered on the shore.

Doesn’t include sea mammals or birds, nor plankton or meiofauna.

Errata, Corrigenda & CommentsP98 Hydroids key: couplet 19 (*Sertularella gayi* & *polyzonias*) has outcomes reversed (cf descriptions p102 and Cornelius)
Examine Stereo Microscope ( Compound Microscope is also useful)

Notes & PurposeStatusTaxonEnglishClassification
For identification, littoral and sublittoral faunaCurrentANIMALIAanimals
For identificationCurrentCTENOPHORAcomb jelliesAnimalia
For identificationCurrentTUNICATAascidians, sea-squirts, tunicatesAnimalia
For identification, shore faunaCurrent[Pisces]fishesAnimalia
For identificationCurrentECHINODERMATAstarfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbersAnimalia
For identificationCurrentHEMICHORDATAhemichordatesAnimalia
For identification, littoral and sublittoral faunaCurrentARACHNIDAmites, spiders, false scorpions, harvestmen etc.Animalia
For identificationCurrentPYCNOGONIDAsea spidersAnimalia
For identification, littoral and sublittoral faunaCurrentCRUSTACEAcrustaceansAnimalia
For identification, intertidal pool speciesCurrentCOPEPODAcopepodsAnimalia
For identification, common intertidal speciesCurrentOSTRACODAostracods, mussel shrimpsAnimalia
For identification, littoral and sublittoral faunaCurrentINSECTAtrue insectsAnimalia
For identification, littoral and sublittoral faunaCurrentMYRIAPODAmyriapodsAnimalia
For identificationCurrentPRIAPULIDApriapulansAnimalia
For identification, littoral and sublittoral faunaCurrentANNELIDAsegmented worms and leechesAnimalia
For identificationCurrentBRYOZOAbryozoans, ectoprocts and moss animalsAnimalia
For identificationCurrentBRYOZOAbryozoans, ectoprocts and moss animalsAnimalia
For identificationCurrentECHIURAburrow worms and echiuran wormsAnimalia
For identificationCurrentENTOPROCTAentoproctsAnimalia
For identification, littoral and sublittoral faunaCurrentMOLLUSCAslugs, snails, bivalves, octopus, sea slugsAnimalia
For identificationCurrentNEMERTEAproboscis worms, ribbon wormsAnimalia
For identificationCurrentSIPUNCULAsipunculan wormsAnimalia
For identification, littoral and sublittoral faunaCurrentPLATYHELMINTHESflatworms, tapeworms, flukesAnimalia
For identification, littoral and sublittoral faunaCurrentCNIDARIAhydroids, jelly fish, sea anemones, jellyfishAnimalia
For identification, littoral and sublittoral faunaSupersededPORIFERAspongesAnimalia
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