Chitons form a peculiar and highly interesting class of molluscs, known with certainty to exist since the Ordovician, and widespread in all world seas to depths from 0 to over 7,000 m. In recent years taxonomists all over the world have much contributed to our knowledge of the chitons and their synonymy, so that the number of living species now amounts to some 800. The authors propose to not only compile all actual knowledge about the living chitons, but, where possible, a after a careful study of the type material, to systematically describe and illustrate every known -- or hitherto unknown -- species. In most cases the detailed figures are new and drawn by the senior author, P. Kaas. The Monograph of Living Chitons is planned to appear in ten volumes.

Chitons form a peculiar and highly interesting class of molluscs, known with certainty to exist since the Ordovician, and widespread in all world seas to depths from 0 to over 7,000 m. In recent years taxonomists all over the world have much contributed to our knowledge of the chitons and their synonymy, so that the number of living species now amounts to some 800. The authors propose to not only compile all actual knowledge about the living chitons, but, where possible, a after a careful study of the type material, to systematically describe and illustrate every known -- or hitherto unknown -- species. In most cases the detailed figures are new and drawn by the senior author, P. Kaas. The "Monograph of Living Chitons" is planned to appear in ten volumes.

This landmark scientific reference for scientists, researchers, and students of marine biology tackles the monumental task of taking a complete biodiversity inventory of the Gulf of Mexico with full biotic and biogeographic information. Presenting a comprehensive summary of knowledge of Gulf biota through 2004, the book includes seventy-seven chapters, which list more than fifteen thousand species in thirty-eight phyla or divisions and were written by 138 authors from seventy-one institutions in fourteen countries. This first volume of Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota, a multivolumed set edited by John W. Tunnell Jr., Darryl L. Felder, and Sylvia A. Earle, provides information on each species' habitat, biology, and geographic range, along with full references and a narrative introduction to the group, which opens each chapter.

An essential reference book for every collector and researcher of American seashells, Encyclopedia of Texas Seashells is a complete sourcebook and up-to-date identification guide, covering an unprecedented nine hundred species of seashells and mollusks that reside in the marine habitats of the Gulf of Mexico. Special features: Illustrated guide to the general features of mollusks Family overviews Descriptions of deep-water, tropical, coral reef, and bank species Information boxes on notable species Assemblage photos of dominant species in primary Texas habitatsChecklist and glossary This reference contains 987 detailed and data-rich color images for even the tiniest shells, a valuable primer on shell collecting as a hobby, and a wealth of entries on the history of use and study, habitats and ecology, shell characteristics, distribution, biology, and identification. Covering species that range from Florida to South America, the Encyclopedia of Texas Seashells will also be a valuable resource for anyone interested in seashells of the Western Atlantic.

Mollusks have been important to humans since our earliest days. Initially, when humans were primarily interested in what they could eat or use, mollusks were important as food, ornaments, and materials for tools. Over the centuries, as human knowledge branched out and individuals started to study the world around them, mollusks were important subjects for learning how things worked. In this volume, the editors and contributors have brought together a broad range of topics within the field of malacology. It is our expectation that these topics will be of interest and use to amateur and professional malacologists.