Book description
For most people, seasickness is the most unpleasant thing they
experience at sea. However, beneath the surface is a whole other world,
and a lot of it could turn all but the strongest stomachs. When
attacked, the hagfish (also known as the slime eel) ties itself in a
knot that travels the length of its body, squeezing out mucus by the
bucketful and making it impossible for a predator to keep hold. To eat,
a starfish regurgitates its stomach, digests its food then swallows its
stomach back down again. Pearlfish stick close to sea cucumbers, whose
bowels they swim into when danger's near. And with shark attacks and
jellyfish encounters, the oceans take on another level of repulsiveness
when man dips his toes in the water. The underwater world remains a
frontier we know even less about than space. Some of the species covered
in this book are beyond the imaginations of science fiction writers.
Entertaining yet informative, the idea is not to wallow in grossness
with the intention of putting people off their dinner, but to explore
just how fascinating and 'alien' our own world can be. Highly
illustrated, and with stories and anecdotes that help bring a human
perspective, this book demystifies the natural world beneath the waves,
and shows how it's not quite so shocking when you understand why these
creatures have evolved the way they have. Jonathan Eyers has been
fascinated by sea life since he saw Jaws at the age of 6. During the
writing of this book he discovered his tolerance for disgusting things
is probably higher than most people's. He is the author of Don't Shoot
the Albatross!, a book about nautical myths and superstitions also
published by Adlard Coles Nautical.
