How to Snog a Hagfish! Disgusting Things in the Sea

For most people, seasickness is the most unpleasant thing theyexperience 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) tiesitself in a knot that travels the length of its body, squeezing outmucus by the bucketful and making it impossible for a predator to keephold. To eat, a starfish regurgitates its stomach, digests its food thenswallows its stomach back down again. Pearlfish stick close to sea cucumbers, whose bowels they swiminto when danger's near. And with shark attacks and jellyfishencounters, the oceans take on another level of repulsiveness when mandips his toes in the water.The underwater world remains a frontier we know even less about thanspace. Some of the species covered in this book are beyond theimaginations of science fiction writers. Entertaining yet informative,the idea of this book is not to wallow in grossness with theintention of putting people off their dinner, but to explore just howfascinating and 'alien' our own world can be.Highly illustrated, and with stories and anecdotes that help bring ahuman perspective, this book demystifies the natural world beneath thewaves, and shows how it's not quite so shocking when you understand whythese creatures have evolved the way they have.

Jonathan Eyers has been fascinated by sea life since he saw Jaws at far too young an age. Unfortunately, while writing 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!: Nautical Myths and Superstitions, also published by Adlard Coles Nautical.