Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist (1834–1919)
Franz Steindachner, 1912
Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 inVienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was anAustrianzoologist,ichthyologist, andherpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians.[1] Steindachner described hundreds of new species of fish and dozens of new amphibians and reptiles.[2] At least seven species of reptile have been named after him.[3]
Steindachner's reputation as anichthyologist grew, and in 1868 he was invited byLouis Agassiz (1807–1873) to accept a position at the Museum of Comparative Zoology atHarvard University. Steindachner took part in theHassler Expedition of 1871–1872 (a journey that circumnavigated South America from Boston to San Francisco). In 1874 he returned to Vienna, and in 1887 was appointed director of the zoological department of the Natural History Museum. In 1898 he was promoted to director of the museum.[4]
Among his better known works in ichthyology areIchthyologische Notizen (1863, published over 8 editions),Ichthyologische Beiträge (1874), andBeiträge zur Kenntniss der Flussfische Südamerikas (1879), the latter work dealing with river fish of South America. In the field ofherpetology, he publishedDie Schlangen und Eidechsen der Galapagos-Inseln (Snakes and lizards of theGalápagos Islands, 1875).[6]
^Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018)."Family MORMYRIDAE Bonaparte 1831 (Elephantfishes)".The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved12 November 2024.
^Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011).The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp.ISBN978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Steindachner", p. 252).
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