Abstract
Invertebrate Medicine is a complete compendium of papers from invertebrate experts in the field dealing with the basic ecology, anatomy and physiology, disease diagnosis, necropsy techniques, and disease treatments of a wide variety of invertebrate groups. The first of its kind to deal exclusively with invertebrate medicine, this highly readable book will be an invaluable aid for public and private aquarists, aquaculturists, zoo keepers and veterinarians in aquaculture, zoo animal, exotic animal, and laboratory animal medicine.
Coverage includes sponges, jellyfish, anemones, corals, mollusks, starfish, sea urchins, crabs, crayfish, lobsters, shrimp, hermit crabs, spiders, scorpions, and dozens more in 20 chapters and three appendices. Although coverage is broad, emphasis is on invertebrates harvested for food or kept in captivity as pets, for display, or as research animals. Of particular interest to public aquariums and zoos with aquatic displays are the chapters dealing with coelenterates, such as jellyfish and corals, and the cephalopod chapter dealing with octopus, chambered Nautilus, cuttlefish, and squid. Unfortunately, there is very little on disorders in jellyfish or Nautilus, possibly reflecting on the lack of information or study of these two groups. The coral disease section is up-to-date and the treatments listed are the ones currently in use. Suggestions are also made for novel approaches to treating coral diseases such as antibiotic pastes. This is a rapidly changing area and the Internet is the best forum to keep pace with advances in this area. The final two chapters, 1) Diagnostic Techniques and Sample Handling and 2) Laws, Rules and Regulating Agencies for Invertebrates, I found of particular interest as these are not topics normally covered in standard aquarium literature and would be of special interest to aquarium professionals who regularly need to import or export invertebrates.
Amply illustrated with 33 color plates and 256 black and white photos and illustrations, Invertebrate Medicine is sure to become the standard on invertebrate animal medicine to which all future works will be compared.