Corals: A Quick Reference Guide (Oceanographic Series) Hardcover – January 1, 1999

Great book. Slightly outdated but great book lots of pictures and great information for coral enthusiasts

This book will inform you on placement, flow, lighting and diet. As well as an illustration!

I'm new to the hobby (less than 1 year) and saw this book at the local fish store upon one of my first visits to the store. The price tag scared me away... Then one day I was surfing around Amazon and remembered the book! I bought this in conjunction with The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Another pricey reference book, but the "fish" version to Sprung's "Corals."Sprung's book is a thorough reference guide of all coral enthusiasts. There are tons of colorful photographs, and you can tell there was a lot of effort put into classifying the different corals and their origins. I do have a few minor complaints, though. First, the title is Corals "A Quick Reference Guide," and I wouldn't really call it a "quick" reference guide. The book is basically broken into two "huge" chapters: Hard Corals and Soft Corals. Pretty broad... Second, the corals are listed according to their scientific name. That is awesome, but I have a hard time remembering the "common" names for the corals I see at the local fish store... So, quick turns into flipping page by page until I see the picture of the coral I want/am interested in. It hasn't failed me yet.Beyond the colorful pictures and knowing the scientific name of the coral, there is a chart that shows thou where you should place the coral in the tank (very helpful). It includes other relevant information, including a brief description. When I say brief, I mean BRIEF. You'll be hitting the interwebs looking for more information, once you've found what you're looking for in the book.The "Aggressiveness" gauge on the charts seem poorly calibrated. The explanation is very vague... It doesn't hold water, in my eyes. Also, the book doesn't mention feeding information, which is really important, in my opinion.It's a nice "coffee table" book, but not a good reference material for a serious reef tank hobbyist...

I read some reviews criticizing the book for being 'pretty' but with little information on the science and culture of corals. This might be true but for my purpose as a visual reference for embroidery and fiber art I couldn't ask for a better guide. There are LOTS of photos of such a wide variety of corals that I'm going to have to explore the theme in more projects.

Very detailed descriptions of coral and their care. It's our "go to" guide for our aquarium.

I have a few reference guides on Corals and this is my favorite go to reference. Easy to read and comprehend information, neatly displayed. It's not one of the most comprehensive books on coral husbandry, but some more detailed references can be a little difficult for non biology majors such as myself to read.

Definitely an AWESOME book. This book is INCREDIBLE ! It shows thousands of corals. Gives scientific names and ALL common names as well. It gives bar charts of lighting needs, current, difficulty to maintain, and aggressiveness of the coral. I would recommend this book ! A ++. THANKS

Overall, pretty good reference book. Well organized and well written. Glad to have it part of the library.