Coastal Invertebrates of Victoria: An Atlas
Field Guide Educational Reference Australian Natural History Environmental Studies Marine Biology Nature Identification Coastal Ecology
Coastal Invertebrates of Victoria: An Atlas by D.A.B. Phillips is a rare 1984 field guide published by the Marine Research Group of Victoria, created specifically for beachcombers, students, and naturalists who want to put names to the fascinating creatures they find along Australia’s southern shoreline. Within its 168 pages you’ll find clear pen-and-ink illustrations and concise descriptions for every major group—sponges, sea stars, molluscs, crabs, worms, jellies and more—arranged for quick visual identification rather than dense scientific jargon. Because the book concentrates on species actually encountered between the tides and in shallow rock pools, it remains the go-to reference for anyone exploring Victoria’s coast from Port Fairy to Mallacoota.
What makes this soft-cover atlas so collectible is its local focus: every animal was recorded, photographed or sketched in the field by Victorian volunteers, giving readers a curated “who’s who” of the state’s most common and most spectacular invertebrates. Beach ramblers can flip to a page, match the specimen in their bucket, and instantly learn its habitat, size range and distinguishing features. Teachers use the book to design marine excursions, while anglers and snorkellers rely on it to predict what bait or prey will be active at certain tide levels.
Produced in small numbers by a regional scientific society, first-printing copies like this one are increasingly scarce—especially in clean, unmarked condition with all 168 pages tight and intact. The light edge wear noted on the cover is typical for a title that has spent decades in rucksacks and glove boxes, testament to its usefulness in the field. For collectors of Australian natural history, local-history buffs, or families seeking an educational adventure guide, Coastal Invertebrates of Victoria offers an irreplaceable window into the biodiversity of the continent’s coolest, most biodiverse coastal waters.
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