Ichthyologist John Randall's years of research
has paid off for shoreline enthusiasts.

WHILE hundreds of sea creatures pickled in jars line the ceiling-to-floor shelves at the Bishop Museum patiently waiting to be identified, classified and named, John E. Randall has been busy collecting more.

And writing. And photographing. The fruits of his massive labors is a wonderful new book, "Shore Fishes of Hawai'i."

This book is a clear portrait of 340 fish that inhabit Hawaii's reefs and nearshore waters, which is just about every fish that even the most enthusiastic diver or snorkeler will ever see in a lifetime of diving in Hawaii.

Randall has spent his life exploring the world's oceans and cataloging hundreds of fish, and has risen to international prominence as a fish expert. The soft-spoken scientist is the ichthyologist that everyone turns to when they need to identify mysterious fish.

"Shore Fishes of Hawai'i" is a proud addition to the eight guidebooks and 480 scientific papers Randall has authored about fishes, and will be the authoritative book on Hawaii's nearshore fishes for years.

The book comes just in time to provide a small income for Randall, who is being forced to retire Jan. 1 by the Bishop Museum, despite all those fish awaiting his attention in the museum's specimen jars.

Randall has created a beautiful book that will be a valuable part of the library of anyone who is curious about the creatures that fill Hawaii's ocean. Although many of the fish change sex and coloration as they mature, and many males and females of the same species have wildly different markings, Randall has snapped fabulous color photographs that will eliminate any chance of misidentifying these creatures in the wild.

To further aid identification, Randall lists each fish by its common name, Hawaiian name, scientific name, the year it was named and who named it. Although Randall was born a century later than many of the scientists who named Hawaii's fish, you can scarcely turn a page in this book without finding a fish that Randall has had the honor of naming.

Randall uses the book's introduction to provide the background of how the various fish species found their way to Hawaii, and to give an impassioned plea for his favorite cause, the creation of more marine life conservation districts. Randall is not alone in believing that such safe havens are necessary to keep Hawaii's fish from being overharvested to extinction.

The description of each pictured fish is scientifically precise enough to withstand strict review by his fellow scientists, but "Shore Fishes of Hawai'i" is written and designed with casual ocean lovers in mind. After all, despite his extensive scientific training and accomplishments, Randall is first and foremost an ocean lover.