n the shallow, warm waters of the Caribbean, South Pacific, and other seas, coral reefs build up as aggregates of the skeletons of countless coelenterates, mostly coral polyps. These reefs teem with a multitude of animals. The brilliant coloration of many of the life forms inhabiting the reef offers special excitement and challenge to colorists, who can bring this undersea world to life by coloring 44 realistic drawings.
Depicted here is a host of marine creatures for whom the coral reef is home: seahorse, butterflyfish, hawksbill turtle, parrotfish, octopus, damselfish, moray eel, sea cucumber, dolphin, hydromedusa jellyfish, sea dragon, royal empress angelfish, triggerfish, Moorish idol, and many more. Detailed captions provide a fascinating overview of the great diversity of life on coral reefs.
Angelfish
Queen
Royal Empress
Cherry Blossom Anthius
Ascidian
Barracuda
Blue Devil
Bluehead
Butterflyfish
Saddleback
Cerianthid
Brown Chromis
Red Clownfish
Coral
Brain
Dendronephthya
Elkhorn
Fire
Hydro
Nephtheid
Orange Tube
Plate
Star
Cottonwick
Crab
Coral
Stone
Crinoid
Cuttlefish
Damselfish
Three-spot
Yellow
Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin
Eel
Goldentail Moray
Green Moray
Filefish
Scrawled
Taillight
Frogfish
Gorgonian
Bushy
Graysby
Grouper
Nassau
Yellowmouth
Hamlet
Barred
Shy
Spanish Hogfish
Many-ribbed Hydromedusa
Horse-eye Jack
Lionfish
Moorish Idol
Nephtheid
Nudibranch
Spanish Dancer
Octopus
Blue-ringed
Parrotfish
Princess
Stoplight
Porkfish
Spiny Puffer
Sea Anenome
Sea Cucumber
Leafy Sea Dragon
Sea Fan
Seahorse
Sea Squirt
Thorny Sea Star
Sea Tulip
Atlantic Purple Sea Urchin
Shark
Blue
Lemon
Snapper
Sponge
Barrel
Callyspongia
Tube
Tubular
Squirrelfish
Studded Starfish
Blue-spotted Sting Ray
Spotted Triggerfish
Trumpetfish
Spiral-gilled Tubeworm
Tunicate
Hawksbill Turtle
Harlequin Tusk Fish
Slate Pencil Urchin
Creole Wrasse
About the Artist
In addition to illustrating books for Dover, Ruth Soffer has also done work for other major publishing houses. An artist specializing in natural science subjects, she lives in Brooklyn, New York.
