FIFTY YEARS OF MARINE FISH SYSTEMATICS AT THE J.L.B. SMITH INSTITUTE OF ICHTHYOLOGY

SUMMARY

In 1946 Rhodes University created the Department of Ichthyology with J.L.B. Smith at the helm. Smith's research centred on the fishes of South Africa and the Western Indian Ocean. In his 22 years at the Department he produced the Sea Fishes of Southern Africa (SFSA) and revised numerous taxa based on material collected during his frequent trips to various parts of the Western Indian Ocean. After his death his wife and life-long assistant, M.M. Smith convinced Rhodes University and the South African Council for Industrial Research to establish the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology. She became the first Director of the Institute, and created a lecturer post for a postgraduate course in ichthyology. The first two scientists to fill this post were marine ichthyoloigists, i.e. Dr T.H. Fraser (1970–1973) and Dr R. Winterbottom (1973–1976). Winterbottom was replaced by Dr M.N. Bruton, a freshwater ecologist, who later became the Institute's second Director. M.M. Smith's major research project was the revision of SFSA which started in 1977 and culminated with the publication, in 1986. of Smiths' Sea Fishes (SSF). For this project Smith hired Dr P.C. Heemstra, her co-editor of SSF, who is currently the Curator of Marine Fishes at the Institute. Three SSF collaborators became Institute staff in the 1980s. Mr O. Gon was hired by Bruton to produce, with Heemstra as co-editor, Fishes of the Southern Ocean, a comprehensive review of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic fishes published in 1990. In 1984 a cartilaginous fish expert, Dr L.J.V. Compagno joined the Institute (1984–1989) and later created the Shark Research Centre: Compagno and his Centre are now at the South African Museum, Cape Town. A deep-sea fish specialist, Dr M.E. Anderson joined the staff in 1989 and has since expanded his research interest to include studies of South African fish fossils. In the 50 years since the establishment of the Department the number of marine species known from South Africa has nearly doubled. During that period Institute scientists described 446 new species and subspecies, and have been involved in international research programmes.