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BioImages: The Virtual Field-Guide (UK)
Killeen I., Aldridge D. & Oliver G., 2004
Freshwater Bivalves of the British Isles
Rather expensive, but not unreasonably so for a specialist publication with so many colour photographs.
The aim of the guide is to enable identification by external features and to illustrate the range of geographical, ecophenotypic and growth stage variation. Consequently a goodly number of high quality photographs are included.
Identification starts on page 22 with tabular (Table 2) and accompanying pictorial (Identification Chart 1) guides to higher level taxa - the table lists what to what to look for in Id Chart 1. This leads to Id Charts 2 through 9 which take you to species. Id Chart 4 shows Unionid syphons, 5 shows juvenile Unionoid shells which can look very different from the adults.
The smaller speces are presented in Id Charts 7 through 9. Each chart is a double page with descripion and photograpphs of external features on the left page and painting and description of internal features (hinge) on the right. Table 3 summarises the characteristics of the smaller species.
Detailed species accounts follow with distribution maps and more photographs.
| Publisher |
Field Studies Council (FSC) |
| Volume |
82 |
| Pages |
114 |
| ISBN |
1 85153 892 5 |
| Coverage |
All the British species known at the time. |
| Illustrations |
Beautiful colour photographs throughout, as well as paintings of salient features. |
| Identify |
In the Hand (also useful to examine with x8 or x10 hand lens). |
| Specimen Prep. |
Some species require cleaned shells; larger spp can often be found washed up. |
| Difficulty |
Small species are difficult, larger species easier. |
Malcolm Storey
Taxonomic Scope
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