General information
The invertebrate collection in our museum includes all multicellular animals that do not belong to the vertebrates, arthropods, molluscs or annelids. There are currently representatives of 23 large groups in the collection. These include sponges, cnidarians, most worm-like groups (flatworms, roundworms, stringworms and others), echinoderms and tunicates. Some of the large groups represented are species-rich, others include only a few representatives. Most of the animals are preserved as alcohol specimens, a few as dry specimens. A number of very small animals are preserved as microscopic specimens. The collections of some animal groups are among the most comprehensive and important in the world.
Focal points
The collection currently comprises around 50,000 objects, not all of which have yet been catalogued. Some "objects" conceal several (sometimes hundreds) of individuals. Particularly important are the approximately 1,200 types, i.e. those individuals on the basis of which a species was re-described. Two animal groups in particular stand out and are among the most extensive and important of their kind. These are the tunicates (Tunicata) with around 3,700 specimens, of which the subgroup of sea squirts (Ascidia) with 1,343 specimens and 309 types is of particular importance. The ascidians owe their importance to the work of Prof Dr Wilhelm Michaelsen during his time as the first curator. The second animal group of importance are the bryozoa, which are represented by 1,538 specimens and 54 types. In addition, the collections of cnidarians (Cnidaria) with 3,260 specimens and 156 types, sponges (Porifera) with 1,988 specimens and 215 types, arrowworms (Chaetognatha) with over 700 specimens and echinoderms (Echinodermata) with around 3,900 specimens and 209 types can also be seen.
Continuous expansion
The collection is constantly being expanded. This is achieved in particular through the acquisition of smaller private or institutional collections. Recently, microscopic specimens of free-living nematodes from Franz Riemann and Sievert Lorenzen and arrowworms (chaetognaths) from Helga Kapp have been added to the collection in this way.
Historical information
The holdings of the Invertebrate Collection (formerly: Lower Animals I) have fluctuated and been restructured over the course of its history. In the early days, it was at times divided between two collections. The first curator, Prof. Dr Wilhelm Michaelsen (responsible 1887-1923), helped the collection to achieve international significance through his collecting trips and his extensive descriptions of species of oligochaetes and ascidians. In the meantime (1908-1912) Ernst Hentschel was in charge of the sponges. In 1923, Max Egon Thiel took over the collection of sponges and cnidarians, while Konstantin von Haffner became curator for the worm-like animal groups in 1928. Von Haffner stood in for Thiel during the war and while he was a prisoner of war. The Zoological Museum was completely destroyed during the war. The protozoa, sponges and corals in particular suffered losses. After Haffner's retirement, the holdings were reunited to form a collection, which was initially managed by Thiel and, after his retirement, by Michael Dzwillo as curator. After his retirement in 1995, Hilke Ruhberg took over the collection until 2006 and Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa since 2007. In 2019, a separate collection for annelids (Annelida) was established.
International rank
The collection is of international importance. It is regularly visited and utilised by specialists from many countries. Guests in the department, such as Andras Zicsi, Manfred Diehl, Fritz Wiebach and Bernhard Werner, have considerably increased the importance of the Hamburg collection through their work and, in some cases, their own collections. The collection contains extensive material collected during the voyages of the research vessels Meteor, Walter Herwig and Polarstern.
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