Ichthyology Collection ZMH

With the largest fish collection in Germany, the LIB houses a world-class collection

The collection contains over 8,000 fish species in over 1,300 type series (42 per cent of which are primary types) from all oceans and all continents. This means that around a quarter of all known fish species and two thirds of all Atlantic fish species are represented. The collection contains valuable specimens of fish species that became extinct in Europe and North America in the 20th century and precious specimens from the 19th century, e.g. from the collections of Godeffroy and Bleeker. The oldest specimen in the collection dates back to 1838 and the extensive collection of sharks and rays, which is one of the most important in Europe and is therefore frequently consulted by systematists, deserves special mention. With over 2,650 series, sharks and rays are the second most represented group of fish in the collection. However, the ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) dominate with more than 42,600 series. Some of the different fish species in the collection are present in various life stages - eggs, larvae, juveniles and adults. The majority of the collection material consists of specimens of complete individuals fixed in alcohol. The collection also includes numerous DNA samples, X-rays, photographs and publications, as well as a number of dry specimens such as skeletons, ear stones, scales and dermoplastics.

Collection history

Unfortunately, the former collection of dry preparations was completely destroyed by bombing raids in 1943. However, most of the alcohol preparations survived the Second World War because they had been stored in an underground railway shaft. These included many valuable preparations from the 19th century. However, around 14 per cent of the material stored there was lost due to alcohol theft. As early as the 19th century, the collection grew to over 4,400 series due to the intensive collecting activities of Hamburg merchants. In the first half of the 20th century, a series of large research expeditions led to an increase in the collection of fish species from the South Seas, the deep sea, the Southern Ocean, Asia and Africa. By 1967, the collection already comprised well over 20,000 series, but continued to grow enormously thereafter, primarily through the acquisition of external collections. For example, the acquisition of over 1,500 series from the University of Göttingen in 1978, but the most significant addition to the collection to date was in 1993, when over 23,000 series from the marine fish collection of the Institute of Sea Fisheries were transferred to the Zoological Museum. The most recent additions since 2006 concern extensive stocks of fish larvae and juvenile fish that were transferred from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel.