Hawaiian Anchialine Pools: Windows to a Hidden World Paperback

As soon as I saw this book I had to buy it. I've never been to Hawaii but have developed a keen interest in Halocaridina Rubra "Opae ula" shrimp after discovering some for sale on ebay. I have been raising them in a 29 gallon aquarium for over 2 years in Michigan. This book gave me a much longed for look into their native habitat. I learned so much. Loved it! I teach nature classes to groups of children ages 5-12. We have covered some facts about Hawaii and they also learned about the shrimp that I raise. Two of my students keep Opae Ula in their homes now too. Now I have some new material to share with them. Thanks to the author and contributors. Great job!

The book shows many beautiful pictures of shrimps in Hawaii Anchialine ponds. I love it !

Very informative and interesting. Would recommend it to anyone interested in Opae Ula shrimp and other life within the Hawaiian Achialine Pools.

I was fortunate to obtain a copy of this book signed by the authors and long-time friends. So, I can't say this is an unbiased review, but if you wanted to know anything about Hawaii's unique anchialine pools and their amazing and largely endemic inhabitants, this book is a great introduction. Anchialine pools are usually brackish pools that are usually fed by underground passages in lava or limestone. They are populated by a unique and sometimes rare collection of invertebrates. One in particular, Halocaridina rubra or opae 'ula, is commonly sold as an aquarium pet or in miniature biospheres, including some sold here on Amazon. The authors have written a concise yet easy to read guide to these pools, the species, the fragile nature of their ecosystems, and their vulnerability to over harvesting, habitat destruction, introduced species, and development. The book is also full of gorgeous photographs, many taken by the authors and by others for which they give full credit. It's not a large book, at 112 pages, but it is a gold mine of information. I learned more from this book than I'd collected in 20 years at the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources. :-)

This book is a wonderful 'window into the hidden world' of one of the most curious, sensitive, and unique aquatic ecosystems on earth. The authors are intimately knowledgable with anchialine ponds in the Hawaiian Islands and describe the interesting history of research into these bizzare coastal habitats. They have also richly illustrated the book with outstanding images of various pond types and their unique inhabitants. Of particular interest are their descriptions of pond formation, plants and bacteria that are so important as food sources, population biology and biogeography of key species, ecosystem threats, and pond restoration efforts. The book also has a complete bibliography for those of us who want to learn more about these fascinating natural resources. For those really interested in Hawaii's aquatic ecosystems, I would also recommend "Hawai'i's Native & Exotic Freshwater Animals", also authored by Mike Yamamoto and Annette Tagawa (2000, Mutual Publishing, Honolulu).