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The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) is home to Germany's largest fish collection, a world-class collection. More than 8,000 fish species are represented here - this corresponds to around a quarter of all known fish species. The collection comprises more than 260,000 specimens: Over 1,300 type series, 42 per cent of which are primary types, are kept in the collection.Valuable specimens of fish species that became extinct in Europe and North America in the 20th century that cannot be retrieved are in the collection.Precious specimens from the 19th century, for example from collections by Godeffroy and Bleeker, are also part of the collection. The oldest specimen in the collection dates back to 1838.
The objects in the collection come from all oceans and all continents. Extensive and internationally sought-after material of freshwater fish comes from Europe, Asia, Africa, South and Central America. The marine collection focuses on the Atlantic Ocean and neighbouring marine areas, in particular the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Two thirds of all Atlantic fish species are represented in the collection. There is also extensive material from the Pacific and Indian Oceans. 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. Within the sharks and rays, the family of skates and rays (Rajidae) is the most strongly represented in the collection with over 1,400 series, while the family of lanternfishes (Myctophidae) is the most strongly represented in the ray-finned fishes with more than 4,800 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.
Related collections
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Projects
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Publications
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2025/06
A climate vulnerability assessment of the fish community in the Western Baltic Sea (vol 14, 16184, 2024)
Scientific reports, 1, 15
2025/06
Correction: A climate vulnerability assessment of the fish community in the Western Baltic Sea
Scientific reports, 15
2025/05
By‐Catch of Grey Seals in Fish Traps in the German Baltic Sea—From Incidents to Mitigation and Fisheries Regulation
Aquatic conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems, 5, 35
2025/03
Development of convergent adaptations reveal highly conserved early ontogenetic skull shape in fishes with amphibious vision
Scientific reports, 1, 15
2025/00
An Overview of the Anatomy of Catfishes and its Diversity
Catfishes, a Highly Diversified Group
2025/00
Diversity and evolution of the pelvic girdle and fin in catfishes
2024/11
Delineating early life stages of Belone belone: analysis of external morphology and postcranial skeletal development of the garfish
Canadian Journal of Zoology, 12, 102
2024/10
Recommendations for scientific fish husbandry–a series for promoting animal welfare, reproducibility and transferability in ichthyologic research
Bulletin of Fish Biology Volume, 20
2024/07
A climate vulnerability assessment of the fish community in the Western Baltic Sea
Scientific reports, 1, 14
2024/05
Recommendations for scientific fish husbandry: Kneria stappersii (Gonorynchiformes, Kneriidae)
Bulletin of Fish Biology Volume, 20
2024/04
The pelvic girdle in extant gonorynchiformes (Teleostei: Otomorpha)
Zoomorphology, 1, 143
2023/12
Ontogeny reveals the origin of Gemminger bones in Mormyridae
Journal of Anatomy, 6, 243
2023/12
Warming during embryogenesis induces a lasting transcriptomic signature in fishes
Science of the Total Environment, 902
2023/09
A true caudal fin or not? New insights in the evolution of the gadiform caudal fin
Zoological journal of the Linnean Society, 1, 199
2023/07
Development of the dorsal and anal fin in Kneria stappersii (Otomorpha: Gonorynchiformes)
Acta Zoologica, 3, 104
2023/07
A staging system for Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) larvae based on external morphology and skeletal development
Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 7, 21
2022/12
Can sporadic records of ocean sunfish (Mola mola) in the western Baltic Sea be linked to saline inflow events?
Journal of Marine Systems, 236
2022/10
Molecular phylogenetics of the Clupeiformes based on exon-capture data and a new classification of the order
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 175
2022/07
Postcranial skeletal development of the Atlantic herring (Clupeomorpha: Clupeidae: Clupea harengus)
Zoologischer Anzeiger, 299
2022/04
Pre-Hatching Ontogenetic Changes of Morphological Characters of Small-Spotted Catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula)
Fishes, 3, 7
2022/03
The accessory neural arch: development, morphology, and systematic distribution
Zoomorphology, 1, 141
2022/01
Morphological characters in light of new molecular phylogenies: the caudal-fin skeleton of Ovalentaria
Royal Society Open Science, 1, 9
2021/12
Ocean-Warming During Embryogenesis Programs a Lasting Transcriptomic Signature in Fishes
2021/08
Postcranial skeletal development of Mugil cephalus (Teleostei: Mugiliformes): morphological and life-history implications for Mugiliformes
Zoological journal of the Linnean Society, 4, 192
2021/07
Brazilian Ichthyology.
Acta Zoologica, 3, 102
2025
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Employees
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Dr. Timo Moritz
ztm Ichthyology Hamburg ScientistPhone: +49 40 238317 643
E-mail: t.moritz@leibniz-lib.de/leibniz-lib.de/fileadmin/user_upload/home/Bilder/LIB/Ueber_das_LIB/Mitarbeitende/Hamburg/Weddehage__Thilo__c_Tjorben_Meier_Portraits.JPG%3F1736147960)
Prof. Dr. Horst Wilkens
ztm Ichthyology Hamburg Scientist, guestPhone: +49 40 42838 3870
E-mail: wilkens@zoologie.uni-hamburg.de