144 Book reviews I J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 211 (1997) 143-148

Cephalopod Behaviour, by Roger T. Hanlon and John B. Messenger; Cambridge Uni- versity Press, Cambridge; 1996; 232 pp. ; GBP 50.00; ISBN 0-521-42083-O (hardback).

It is a common and popular perception that the cephalopods as a group exhibit varied behaviour patterns at a complex level, comparable at least to those of lower vertebrates.

Drummed into every biology undergraduate, often reinforced by gushing commentary on underwater television programmes, this impression has reached the level of a universal

truth. It is competely remarkable, then, to find that this is the first book devoted solely to

the scientific study of cephalopod behaviour. The detail of pattern, texture, form and movement in cephalopods is under the control of the most elaborate and highly specified

nervous system evolved by any invertebrate. Their rapid transitions in behaviour; their

underwater marine habitat; and their recognition of the artificiality of conditions in

captivity, have conspired to delay serious study of the behaviour and interactions of cephalopods. But the relatively recent availability of modern SCUBA and underwater

video equipment now allows the observer to enter the environment of his subject, record its activities, and begin a level of behavioural description not previously possible.

First impressions of this book by Roger Hanlon and John Messenger, are of a fresh new synthesis of the wealth of recent descriptive and analytical work on behaviour of squid, octopus and cuttlefish. A special chapter on Nautilus covers the distinctly

different aspects of behaviour of this palaeozoic survivor. The book is compact, well

presented and produced, with many drawings, synoptic diagrams and photographs, and includes five pages of crisp colour plates. The complementary expertise of the two

authors is obvious throughout, giving a stimulating and readable blend of behavioural

description and interpretation of underlying neurobiological mechanisms. The Introduction, succinctly provides the necessary access to background information

and to some of the recent compilations and reviews. The next chapter ‘Senses, Effecters and the Brain,’ gives a skilfully condensed account of the basic sensory, neural and motor equipment of cephalopods. It is well referenced and will encourage the user to

read further into the highly detailed anatomy and physiology. Two aspects of cephalopod neurobiology are perhaps deserving of more attention than they get in this chapter. The

apparent paradox of colour blindness in animals displaying such diverse and dynamic patterns of colour is emphasised (p. 29), but only partially resolved later in the book (p.

71) and then does not take account of the differences in depth to which light of different wavelengths will penetrate the water column. Secondly, discussion of the recognition of

‘pain’ in octopuses (p. 21) seems minimal given the degree to which the ability of these

animals to learn associations between noxious and other stimuli has underpinned the

experimental work on their learning capabilities. In chapter 3, ‘Colour Change and Body Patterning’, the main thrust of the book gets

underway with a systematic account of the construction of the behavioural repertoire. The now widely accepted system of classification of cephalopod behavioural con- stituents into elements, units and components of body patterns is used to provide a consistent scheme for the comparison of behaviours between species and habitats. The emphasis given in diagrams to the heirarchical structure linking constituents of behaviour (Fig. 3.3) and the menu of alternatives available at each level, is perhaps

Book reviews / J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 211 (1997) 143-148 145

greater than is presently justified. Although very useful as a form of organisation, this

stress underplays the variation in intensity of expression of each constituent and the

consequent scope for merging and blending them. The section on feeding and foraging concisely covers the range of behaviours for

hunting, detecting and capturing prey. While squid exhibit a sophisticated range of hunting techniques to approach their prey before a final ‘lunge and grab’ attack, the octopuses invest in elaborate equipment for prey capture and handling. In all ceph- alopods the flexibility with which feeding behaviours can be adapted to the environment

and availability of different types of food is clearly one of the most important factors in their ability to feed and grow at exceptionally high rates. In addition to reviewing the

behaviours involved, chapter 4, ‘Feeding and Foraging,’ includes a wealth of useful

ecological information to provide a realistic background of interpretation. The coleoid cephalopods are soft-bodied and delicious! They have little chance

against superior predators such as large fish, birds and mammals once contact has been

made. Chapter 5, on ‘Defence,’ systematically describes the responses of cephalopods to their predators. The classification of these responses into primary and secondary

defences and the ordering of the behavioural descriptions into cryptic, flight or deimatic (threatening or startling responses) function, is clear and convincing. Somewhat less satisfactory is the grouping of those deemed to be ‘protean’ behaviours (unpredictable 01

erratic, confusing to a predator). Here the text and diagram (Fig. 5.1) are less consistent and the meaning of ‘protean’ extended to include behaviour patterns more organised than those covered by the usual sense of the word.

Cephalopods have long been known for direct male-female mating and complicated

anatomical arangements for the transfer and reception of sperm. The review of published

material and the assembly of new information in Chapter 6, ‘Reproductive behaviour,’

delivers a comprehensive description and interpretation of all aspects of behavioural involvement in the reproductive process. Using case-history reports, summary diagrams

and supporting photographs the authors deal with courtship, mating, egg deposition and care. They effectively use the results from many hours of underwater video to describe the social interactions of squid on spawning grounds, particularly the evidence for sexual

selection through male fighting and female choice. For the cephalopod biologist this chapter will probably be the highlight of the book, assisting, as it does with the

interpretation of so much of what is known from elsewhere about reproductive anatomy

and ecology. Chapter 7 on ‘Communication’ covers current knowledge of the visual signals (little

can be said about other modalities) exchanged by cephalopods, mostly in squid and

cuttlefish. Cautiously the authors hold back from the recognition of a ‘language’ of communication which has been promoted by others. Sensibly, in chapter 8, ‘Learning and the Development of Behaviour’ they have also refrained from a further review and

analysis of the very large body of literature on experiments conducted on octopus learning. There is currently little new to be added to previous reviews and much of the work is not directly relevant to the ethological approach they have adopted here. The very plain aquarium tank environment of the experimental studies leads to a much narrower definition of behaviour and would have required a critical reevaluation. The

146 Book reviews / J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ed. 211 (1997) 143-148

book concludes with two short chapters: 9, ‘Ecological Aspects of Behaviour’ which briefly considers behaviours relevant to population biology; and 10, on ‘Nautilus’ alone, to emphasise and summarise the divergent aspects of the behaviour of this relic.

There are some quibbles about the handling of references and their presentation. While

most of the book is comprehensively referenced, in places the reader is left guessing as to the source of the information. The sequencing of multi-author references at the end of

the book alphabetically by 1st 2nd, 3rd author etc. is pedantic and confounds the

process of finding a text reference simply sequenced by first author and year. The grouping of the colour plates into the centre of the book means that the coloured plates

for chapters 3, 5, 6 and 9 all occur in chapter 6. The use of text boxes to present discrete

topics will be useful to the non-specialist, and the conclusion of each chapter with a short summary of the issues arising is valuable in underlining the early stage of present

behavioural studies. In their epilogue, the authors continue to emphasize the amount yet to learn about cephalopod behaviour, unfortunately they undermine their case by value judgment of some species as ‘rather dull’ or even ‘particularly boring’ (p 181)!

Overall the book succeeds in its purpose. It will be an essential volume for anyone working in almost any field of cephalopod behaviour, physiology or ecology. It will also be accessible to a wide range of other, students from undergraduate to professionals in

many areas of invertebrate or marine biology. While the cephalopod biologist may have

wished for additional detail, or a more critical approach to interpretation in some places, all readers will appreciate the blend of experimental and field observations, the readable

text, and the easy integration of the many sources of material. This book will bring a

needed framework to cephalopod behavioural studies and be a catalyst to new work.

Peter Boyle

Department of Zoology University of Aberdeen

Aberdeen AB9 2TN

UK

PII SOO22-098 1(96)02762- 1

Molecular Zoology: Advances, Strategies and Protocols, edited by J.D. Ferraris and S R.

Palumbi, Wiley-Liss, John Wiley, New York; 1996; 580 pp.; GBP 34.95; ISBN O-471-14461-4

This book is designed as a showcase of the impressive range of projects that can now be tackled using molecular techniques in zoology. As such its scope is impressive to say the least. The book is split into five main parts, the first four of which each deal with a different particular theme. Part one covers systematics, phylogeny and databases; part two, population structure and molecular markers; part three, classic problems in the evolution of growth and development; and part four, evolution in variable environments and physiological adaptation. Obviously there is some overlap in these very broad