Sea stars are amongst the most common and conspicuous invertebrates that thrive in the rich waters of the Pacific Northwest from northern California to southeast Alaska. Worldwide there are more than 2000 different species but no other temperate region has a greater variety and abundance of these colourful and often very large echinoderms which are closely related to sea urchins sea cucumbers brittle stars and feather stars. An underwater photographer journalist and naturalist with over 40 years of diving experience Neil McDaniel provides many original field observations to accompany his remarkable images of these fascinating animals.This durable waterresistant 8fold field guide describes how to identify more than 30 species likely to be encountered by beach walkers and scuba enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest. It also provides intriguing details about their behaviour including how they move about hunt for prey reproduce and avoid predators. It is an ideal companion for family explorations to the sea shore an invaluable reference in any scuba divers kit bag and a useful addition to the home library. show more