Johann Gustav Fischer (1 March 1819,

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

– 27 January 1889) was a German

herpetologist Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...

. He served as an instructor at the Johanneum in Hamburg, and was associated with the city's ''Naturhistorisches Museum'', working extensively with its herpetological and

ichthyological Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish, including bony fish (Osteichthyes), cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes), and jawless fish (Agnatha). According to FishBase, 35,800 species of fish had been described as of March 2 ...

collections. He was the binomial author of numerous herpetological species, and has several species named in his honor: *"Fischer's cat snake" ('' Toxicodryas pulverulenta''), 1856. *" Fischer's chameleon" (''Kinyongia fischeri)'', described by

Anton Reichenow Anton Reichenow (1 August 1847 in Charlottenburg – 6 July 1941 in Hamburg) was a German ornithologist and Herpetology, herpetologist. Reichenow was the son-in-law of Jean Cabanis, and worked at the Natural History Museum, Berlin, Natural Histor ...

in 1887. *"Fischer's dwarf gecko" ('' Lygodactylus fischeri)'', described by

George Albert Boulenger George Albert Boulenger (19 October 1858 – 23 November 1937) was a Belgian-British zoologist who described and gave scientific names to over 2,000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Boulenger was also an active botani ...

in 1890. *"Fischer’s snail-eating snake" ('' Tropidodipsas fischeri)'', described by George Albert Boulenger in 1894. *"Fischer's thick-toed gecko" ('' Pachydactylus laevigatus''), 1888. In the field of ichthyology, he described the genera ''Sclerocottus'' (

Cottidae The Cottidae are a family of fish in the superfamily Cottoidea, the sculpins. It is the largest sculpin family, with about 275 species in 70 genera.Kane, E. A. and T. E. Higham. (2012)Life in the flow lane: differences in pectoral fin morphology ...

) and ''Gymnelichthys'' (

Zoarcidae The eelpouts are the ray-finned fish family (biology), family Zoarcidae. As the common name suggests, they are somewhat eel-like in appearance. All of the 300 species are ocean, marine and mostly bottom-dwelling, some at great depths. Eelpouts a ...

Published works

Many of his scientific papers were published in the "''Jahrbuch der Hamburgischen Wissenschaftlichen Anstalten''", the "''Abhandlungen aus dem Gebiete der Naturwissenschaften herausgegeben vom Naturwissenschaftlichen Verein''" and the "''Verhandlungen des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins von Hamburg-Altona''". The following are some of Fischer's principal written efforts: *''Amphibiorum nudorum neurologiae specimen primum'', 1843. *''Die gehirnnerven der saurier anatomisch untersucht'', 1852 – Anatomical studies involving the

cranial nerve Cranial nerves are the nerves that emerge directly from the brain (including the brainstem), of which there are conventionally considered twelve pairs. Cranial nerves relay information between the brain and parts of the body, primarily to and f ...

s of saurians. *''Anatomische abhandlungen über die perennibranchiaten und derotremen'', 1864 – Anatomical notes on the perennibranchiate and derotreme. *''Ichthyologische und herpetologische Bemerkungen'', 1885 – Ichthyological and herpetological comments. *''Die familie der seeschlangen systematisch beschrieben'', 1886 – Family of

sea snake Sea snakes, or coral reef snakes, are Elapidae, elapid snakes that inhabit Marine (ocean), marine environments for most or all of their lives. They belong to two subfamilies, Hydrophiinae and Sea krait, Laticaudinae. Hydrophiinae also includes ...

s systematically described.Google Books
publications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Johann Gustav 1819 births 1889 deaths Scientists from Hamburg German herpetologists German ichthyologists