The second of three volumes, this account charts the progress of a
scientific inventory of New Zealand's living and fossilized
biodiversity. An intriguing guide, it focuses on Ecdysozoa (molting
animals), the enigmatic phylum Chaetognatha (arrow worms), and the
fossil traces of ancient animal activities. The project is an
international effort involving more than 220 New Zealand specialists
and, when completed, will include the almost 55,000 known species of
animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms in the country. To date, only
New Zealand has compiled a checklist of its entire biota.