These four companion books take a dramatic look at our watery planet. Constituting one of the most numerous and diverse groups of invertebrates on Earth, fish are the undoubted masters of the underwater world. Equally at home in fresh or saltwater, they have evolved to occupy every conceivable water-filled niche. Fish have adapted to survive in a range of different environments from the deepest ocean depths to muddy freshwater puddles, and from the freezing waters of the Antarctic to hot desert springs. Extraordinary Fish illustrates the amazing transformations in body for and behavior that have enabled fish to take up many diverse and fascinating lifestyles. Chapter one introduces the ways in which fish have adapted to their watery world, with examples from the deep sea and other inhospitable habitats. In an environment where predators abound, survival is of prime concern, and Chapter two explores, among other things, the many ways that fish camouflage and arm themselves for attach and defense. Chapter three transports the reader into the sensory world of fish. As well as extraordinary powers of sight, sound, and smell, some fish can detect electric fields, glow with luminescent light, and navigate unerringly across vast oceans. In the fourth and final chapter, the color sex life of many fish is revealed.

Dr. Frances Dipper is an independent marine consultant, underwater photographer, and author. She has extensive firsthand experience of studying fish underwater in the UK, Middle East, and Asia. Dr. Frances Dipper is author of British Sea Fishes and has written and been a consultant for numerous other books and popular articles on the underwater world, both for children and adults. She has run many expeditions and marine courses for divers and naturalists through the Marine Conservation Society and is a part-time tutor for the Board of Continuing Education at Cambridge University, England.