I’m not too sure what to make of Antarctic Fishes. On the one hand, you’ve got a guide to the fish of the Southern Ocean which, whilst clearly well researched and entertainingly informative, depicts species which would be of interest primarily to Patagonian fishermen, hardy Antarctic ecologists and the occasional geographically-challenged scuba diver. On the other hand, however, is an enthralling book held together not by words but by the unique art of leading Japanese gyotaku exponent, Boshu Nagese.
The full-page gyotaku illustrations within Antarctic Fishes have been painstakingly created by moulding a moistened sheet of paper over the top of the subject and applying colour using a fine cotton bud. The resulting effect is (as pointed out by one individual in the NHBS Office) not unlike a high fidelity fish rubbing, in that the texture of the actual fish is present in the final image. It sounds weird, I know, but personally I’ve never seen anything like it before and it’s undeniably fantastic. Containing nearly 150 illustrations, this title will make a wonderful addition to the bookshelf or coffee table of anybody with even a passing fascination in marine creatures. In every sense of the word, this book is a unique portrait of some of the world’s least-observed marine species.