ANNALES • Ser. hist. nat. • 12 • 2002 • 2
OCENE IN POROČILA/RECENSIONI E RELAZIONI/REVIEWS AND REPORTS, 269-273
OCENE IN POROČILA 
RECENSIONI E RELAZIONI 
REVIEWS AND REPORTS
Alessandro De Maddalena: SQUALI DELLE ACQUE 
ITALIANE. GUIDA SINTETICA AL RICONOSCIMENTO.
IRECO, Formello, 2001, 72 pp.
Alessandro De Maddalena, the Italian shark specia­
list, had a key to identification of sharks in the Italian 
seas published in 2001. In a neatly designed booklet, 
supplemented by superb author's drawings, he pre­
sented all shark species occurring in Italian waters. The 
main objective of the booklet is a quick identification of 
sharks. Initially, the author acquaints us with some basic 
details about the anatomy and morphology of sharks, 
and eventually presents the booklet's major part, the 
identification key. The author did not opt for a classical 
dichotomous key, but offers several possibilities of 
elimination at the same time. Here it should be stressed 
that the key is intended for a wide range of readers, who 
are immediately advised to reach for specialist works if 
more thorough knowledge is required.
Although a dichotomous key would no doubt be 
more appropriate, the author's unusual approach is very 
transparent and indeed fulfils its purpose - a quick 
identification of a selected shark species. The most 
extensive part of the booklet is dedicated to a detailed 
description of separate species. Each of them is pre­
sented with an accurate drawing and, below the picture, 
with its basic morphological characteristics, colour 
features and size. There follow details about its habitat, 
reproduction and dietary characteristics. Each de­
scription is concluded with a few words about the 
species's significance for fisheries and danger to 
humans. After describing all sharks occurring in the 
Italian seas, the author presents a form to be filled if we 
wish to cooperate with professional organisations 
dealing with sharks. This is followed by photographs 
which, however, may be superfluous, considering that 
they more or less depict sharks' cadavers, which are of 
course of no particular use to the readers. The con­
cluding chapter deals with the used bibliography and 
index of terms.
The manual is certainly an important contribution to 
the Italian ichthyological literature. The simple, nicely 
designed and not too extensive booklet serves as a 
perfect basis for the identification of sharks. And its 
greatest quality are indubitably the author's drawings.
Lovrenc Lipej
Giovanni Nikiforos: FAUNA DEL MEDITERRANEO- 
GUIDA COMPLETA. Giunti Gruppo Editoriale, Firenze, 
luglio 2002, 366 pp.
Appassionato come sono del mondo marino, re- 
centemente ho avuto modo di acquistare un libro fresco 
di stampa, ossia una nuova guida alia conoscenza della 
fauna marina del Mediterráneo. II volume é un'opera 
esaustiva che comprende piu di 3.500 specie di animali 
che popolano il Mar Mediterráneo.
Purtroppo non sono riuscito a trovare alcuna infor- 
mazione sull'autore di quest'opera, al quale bisogna 
riconoscere il mérito di aver fatto una guida veramente 
facile da consultare anche per gli appasionati del- 
l'ambiente marino meno esperti, grazie anche al fatto 
che la descrizione di ogni singóla specie viene ac- 
compagnata da un'illustrazione a colori.
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