ANNALES • Ser. hist. nat. • 12 • 2002 • 2 OCENE IN POROCILA/RECENSIONI E RELAZIONI/REVIEWS AND REPORTS, 269-273 IO\ \ \ \ | \ l k l l O K D S FAUNA d e l E M : MEDITERRANEO GUIDA COMPLETA ■ftUut+y- W ni'1) 3500 s p e c ie TRATTATE 0 OLI Kl 5000 ILLUSTRAZIONI Nella prima parte del libro troviamo una sintesi del la storia e del le caratteristiche fisiche del Mediterráneo, nonché la descrizione dei piani e delle zone in cui viene suddiviso Lambiente marino. L'autore ha inserito anche le descrizioni dei gruppi in cui vengono suddivisi gli organismi marini e dei vari tipi di fondale e ha in breve spiegato i concetti di catena e di pirámide ali­ mentare. La seconda parte del libro e invece incentrata sulle principali caratteristiche morfologiche dei phylum che appartengono al regno anímale e sull'inquadra- mento sistemático. Di seguito troviamo le tavole ¡Ilústrate che si di- stinguono per la loro organizzazione estremamente pratica e percio di facile consultazione .anche per le persone prive di alcuna nozione di biología. Gli orga­ nismi, infatti, non vengono suddivisi seguendo Lordine sistemático ma in base alia loro morfología. Per esem- pio, esistono delle tavole che trattano gli animali con corpo vermiforme (molluschi, vermi, echinodermi) op- pure gli animali di aspetto inconsueto (spugne, tunicati, cnidari). Un'altra caratteristica positiva delle tavole e il fatto che la descrizione delle specie si trova sempre sulla pagina sinistra (pari) mentre Pillustrazíone corris- pondente e sulla destra (pagina dispari). Le iIlustrazioni possono apparire a prima vista un po' semplicistiche, ma in realta riproducono molto bene le caratteristiche morfologiche e cromatiche principali delPorganísmo descritto. Nel volume si possono comunque trovare del­ le inesattezze o degli errori ai quali faranno proba- bilmente caso soltanto i piu esperti del campo, ma la guida rappresenta senz'altro un'ottimo punto di par- tenza per una migliore classificazione delle specie os- servate in mare. Talvolta si rendera comunque neces- sario l'utilizzo di altre chiavi di determinazione. Le illustrazioni a colorí di ogni specie descritta rap- presentano davvero un grande vantaggio per il lettore. Personalmente sono rimasto molto colpito dal gran numero di opistobranchi trattati nella guida. Nell'ultima parte del libro troviamo delle tavole in cui vengono fatti dei confronti dimensional'! e una proposta dell'autore per la preparazione di un elenco dei nomi volgari dei pesci ossei del Mediterráneo. Immancabili il glossario e la bibliografía. Per concludere, la guida assomiglia in parte al volume "Fauna und Flora der Adria" di R. Riedel (Paul Parey Verlag, 1963), ma é basata su un diverso con- cetto. Innanzi tutto comprende solo la fauna marina, le illustrazioni sono si a colori ma per questo meno precise df quelle del Riedl, e per finiré include anche specie nuove, scoperte da poco (ad esempio Gobius kolom- batovici). II volume inoltre menziona anche i migranti lessepsiani, e non solo fra i pesci. AILautore va pertanto riconosciuto il mérito di stare al passo con le novita tassonomiche e faunistiche del Mediterráneo, dote che non dovrebbe mancare a nessun autore che voglia preparare un buon libro. Samo Alajbegovic Alessandro De Maddalena: LO SQUALO BIANCO NEI MARI D'lTALIA. IRECO, Formello, 2002, 144 pp. Alessandro De Maddalena is a devoted researcher into the biology of sharks, particularly the infamous Great White Shark. His latest book is in fact the fulfilment of the project entitled "Banca Dati Italiani Squalo Bianco", in which he gathered numerous data on the occurrence of the Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) in Italian waters. On this occasion I must stress that Alessandro is far from a sensationalist dealing with this shark merely for the fact that it is the most dangerous shark species in the world in general. I would sooner characterise him as an attentive researcher who has decided to break the stereotypes about this man-eater, as referred to in some places. It could be said, in fact, that he deals with the Great White Shark as with one of the victims of man, who has greatly decimated it in the last few years. On the basis of data and pictorial material collected 270 OCENE IN POROCILA/RECENSIONI E RELAZIONI/REVIEWS AND REPORTS, 269-273 ANNALES • Ser. hist. nat. • 12 • 2002 ■ 2 in the last six years, Alessandro made 402 records dealing with 436 individuals of the Great White Shark in the Mediterranean. The book is no doubt the most complete work about the Great White Shark in the Italian seas. The numerous photographs speak of the fact that this shark is a reality we simply must be confronted with. To certain cases the author devoted as much of his attention as there were data available to him. In fact, he carried out a precise work of a chronicler. The book is divided into six chapters dealing first of all with descriptions of the Great White Shark, encounters with it in Italian waters, analysis of its presence in the Italian seas, possibilities of cooperation in the collection of the shark's data, conclusions, and bibliography. In the introductory part we get well acquainted with the sharks of the family Lamnidae, their diagnostic characteristics, basic features with regard to their anatomy, morphology, size, diet, geographical distribution, and relations with humans. A very special feature of this chapter are the author's exceptional drawings. The most attractive is certainly the second chapter, for in it the author described, with the accuracy of a chronicler, all the available data on the Great White Shark's encounters with humans, with references even to the year 1666. The author present the data of this species per separate seas and larger islands (Sicily, Sardinia, Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Ionic and Adriatic Seas). Most often, these encounters did not end well for the shark, as demonstrated by the author's rich photo­ graphical material, while in some of the accounts the author describes dangerous encounters with the Great White Shark under the water, which in some cases ended most tragically. I would also like to stress that Alessandro presents in his book several excellent shots of the shark made especially in the last few years by eyewitnesses. For these shots speak that in spite of the terrible decimation of the species in the last century, the Great White Shark is still an inhabitant of the Adriatic Sea. In the next chapter, an analysis of the occurrence of the Great White Shark in the Italian seas is presented. Most of the details originate from the Tyrrhenian Sea and coastal waters of Sicily, which is quite under­ standable considering that tuna fishing is still practised there. We also get to know that the Great White Shark appeared most frequently in the summer months, usually preying on big fish like tuna or swordfish and dolphins. It may be interesting to note that the author states some cases of these sharks feeding on carrion; they were taken by surprise when gorging on dead spermwhales and finwhales. The conclusions and indeed extensive references are followed by a survey of all documented cases dealing with the Great White Shark. The reader can be here acquainted with an impressive data collection, which is in fact a basis of this work. The book about the Great White Shark in Italian waters is a comprehensive presentation of this shark both from the aspect of its occurrence and ecology in the area of the Central Mediterranean and from the aspect that speaks of its interaction with man, which almost always ends tragically for the shark. Although the book is indubitably of great professional value, it will be welcomed by all those biologists, divers, lovers of the sea and nature in general who are simply enraptured by super predators. And the fact is that the Great White Shark plays a ,very similar role as the lion on the savanna or the tiger in the jungle. Lovrenc Lipej 271