Peter Robert Last is an Australian

ichthyologist 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 ...

, curator of the Australian National Fish Collection and a senior principal research scientist at

CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere (O&A) (2014–2022) was one of the then 8 Business Units (formerly: Flagships) of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's largest government-supported science research agenc ...

(CMAR) in

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

. He is an

elasmobranch Elasmobranchii () is a subclass of Chondrichthyes or cartilaginous fish, including modern sharks ( division Selachii), and batomorphs (division Batomorphi, including rays, skates, and sawfish). Members of this subclass are characterised by h ...

expert and has described many new species of shark. Last graduated with a PhD from the

University of Tasmania The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College (University of Tasmania), Christ College, one of the unive ...

in 1983 with a thesis titled "Aspects of the ecology and zoogeography of fishes from soft-bottom habitats of the Tasmanian shore zone". Last is the co-author of ''Sharks and Rays of Australia'' and co-author of ''A revision of the Australian handfishes (Lophiiformes: Brachionichthyidae), with descriptions of three new genera and nine new species''. In 2009, the Australian Society for Fish Biology awarded Last its highest honour, the K. Radway Allen Award."K. Radway Allen Award"
Australian Society for Fish Biology official website. Accessed July 21, 2019.

Taxon described by him

*See :Taxa named by Peter R. Last

Taxon named in his honor

*The Rusty snailfish, '' Paraliparis lasti''

Stein Stein may refer to: Places Austria * Stein, a neighbourhood of Krems an der Donau, Lower Austria * Stein, Styria, a municipality in the district of Fürstenfeld, Styria * Stein (Lassing), a village in the district of Liezen, Styria * Stein a ...

, Chernova & Andriashev, 2001 is a species of

snailfish The snailfishes or sea snails (not to be confused with invertebrate sea snails), are a family of marine ray-finned fishes. These fishes make up the Liparidae, a family classified within the order Scorpaeniformes. Widely distributed from the ...

found in the Eastern

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

. *The Trawl perchlet, ''

Plectranthias lasti ''Plectranthias lasti'', the trawl perchlet, is a species of fish in the family Serranidae occurring in the western Pacific Ocean. Size This species reaches a length of . Etymology The fish is named in honor of ichthyologist Peter R. Last Pet ...

'' J. E. Randall & Hoese, 1995 is a species of

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

in the family

Serranidae Serranidae is a large family (biology), family of fishes belonging to the order Perciformes. The family contains about 450 species in 65 genera, including the sea basses and the groupers (subfamily Epinephelinae). Although many species are small, ...

occurring in the Western

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

Notes

Australian ichthyologists Living people Year of birth missing (living people) University of Tasmania alumni {{zoologist-stub