Anemones and coldwater stony coral from Gosse's Actinologia britannica: a history of the British sea-anemones and corals

Dried holaxonian sea whips and stony coral from Knorr's Deliciae naturae selectae

Red coral larvae from Lacaze-Duthiers's Histoire naturelle du corail

Red coral from Lacaze-Duthiers's Histoire naturelle du corail

Male coral polyps releasing clouds of sperm from Lacaze-Duthiers's Histoire naturelle du corail

Parasitic anemones from Gosse's Actinologia britannica: a history of the British sea-anemones and corals

The colorful image above shows an underwater scene of coldwater stony coral and anemones, which are closely related members of the cnidarian Subclass Hexacorallia, as discussed in Dr. Staissny's essay on Philip Henry Gosse (1810-1888). Gosse's 1854 Actinologia britannica: a history of the British sea-anemones and corals is part of the Museum Library's Rare Book Collection and includes many intricate underwater scenes, like the one above, produced by artist William Dickes (1815-1892). Other publications appearing in Opulent Oceans featuring artwork of corals and observations on coral anatomy and reproduction can be viewed to the left.

To enlarge this or any image, and to see the accompanying descriptions, simply click on an image or its title. Information can be accessed about the rare book from the Library’s catalog records, and the exhibit can be further explored by selecting authors, artists, titles, and subjects.