The Linnaean Fish and Shell Collections

The collection holds 168 fish specimens consisting mostly of dried skins from one side incorporating half of the skeleton. There are a number of important type specimens in the collection, including the John Dory Zeus faber.

Linnaeus observed fishes when travelling around Sweden and is thought to have collected 48 of the extant 168 specimens, assiduously writing up his findings in many published accounts.  His main taxonomic influence was his good friend Petrus Artedi (1705-1735), a brilliant ichthyologist.  After Artedi’s early death, Linnaeus edited and completed his work on fishes, publishing it posthumously for him as the Ichthyologia (1753), a magnificent starting point for both fish systematics and general descriptive taxonomy.

In 1758, Linnaeus published the 10th edition of the Systema Naturae, the recognised starting point for biological classification.  He first focused on fishes well-known in Europe and which would have been commonly encountered in Swedish waters such as sturgeon Acipenser sturio, carp Cyprinus carpio, perch Perca fluviatilis and Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.   Such names have stood the test of time and, considering fishes from the current British freshwater list alone, a remarkable 41 out of 57 (or 72%) are Linnaean species.

A substantial number of fishes eventually came to be included as exotic components of the Systema including the Nile perch Lates niloticus and the Electric catfish Malapterurus niloticus.  Linnaeus’ fullest account of fishes was in the 12th edition of the Systema Naturae (1766-67). About 414 species of fish were recognised during Linnaeus’ lifetime, 9,000 in Darwin’s time and more than 25,000 today.  Currently, about 200 fish species new to science are described each year with a projected total of above 35,000.

For more information on the Linnaean Fishes see "Linnaeus' Fishes, Past, Present and Future" by Gordon McGregor Reid PPLS in The Linnean Special Issue No. 7, 'The Linnaean Collections'.

LINNAEAN FISH COLLECTION NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

There are over 3,000 shells with reliable Linnean provenance; there is also a limited number of “supplementary” collections containing corals, barnacles, crabs, brachiopods, sea urchins, starfish, sponges, and foraminifera. The collections include verified type material. The collections also contain the priceless ‘Linnaean pearls’ – the first examples of spherical pearl culture. All major worldwide groups of shells are represented, the coverage reflecting the stage of exploration that had been reached in the early 19th century.

Linnaeus’ interest in shells probably dates from his student years. In 1727, while at Lund University, he regularly attended the lectures on molluscs given by the eminent professor, Dr Kilian Stobaeus (1690-1742), which initiated a real interest.  In 1731, he visited Stockholm where he acquired a large number of specimens for his growing collections.  His collection continued to be augmented by contributions from those travelling to distant lands, including many ex-students, and it became the finest in Sweden, after that of Queen Louisa Ulrica.  In a document discovered after his death, Linnaeus stated that “The shell cabinet is worth at least 12,000 dalers”. This would be around £276,000 today. As the basis of all shell nomenclature the collections are now truly priceless.

In the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae (1758), Linnaeus published the descriptions of over 700 molluscan species; nine years later, in the 12th edition, the number had increased by over 100 and 28 more were later described. Today, Linnaeus’ molluscan species represent only a portion of the recent mollusc fauna now known. Molluscan taxonomy has undergone substantial revision since the 18th century and work continues on revising and describing the collections. 

An additional colletion of Linnaeus' shells is held at the University Zoological Museum, Uppsala.  

For more information on the Linnaean shell collection see "The Linnaean shell collection at Burlington House" by Kathie Way in The Linnean Special Issue No. 7, 'The Linnaean Collections'.

LINNEAN SHELL COLLECTION NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

Linnaeus produced the first ‘artificial’ spherical pearls ever cultured in any mollusc, from salt or freshwater, and they now form part of the Linnaean Collections. Linnaeus removed the shells from the river, drilled a small hole in the shell of the freshwater mussel Unio pictorum L. (the “Painter’s Mussel”, so called because artists would use the shallow valves to mix their pigment) and inserted a tiny granule of limestone or plaster between the mantle and the shell. To produce a free pearl rather than a blister pearl he held this small bead away from the shell's inner surface with a "T" shaped  silver wire. The pearl mussels were returned to the riverbed for six years and in many cases resulted in pearls of modest quality.

Linnaeus sold the secret to a Swedish merchant called Peter Bagge in 1762  for 6,000  “dalars“ (or approximately £1,250 which would be over  £93,000  today). Bagge obtained a monopoly permit from the King of Sweden to develop pearl culture but neither he, nor his grandson, ever took up the idea and put it into practice. 

A set of Linnaeus’ experimental pearls has been travelling the world since 2001 as part of the blockbuster exhibition “Pearls” organised and administered by the American Museum of Natural History in New York. They have been exhibited in Abu Dhabi, Australia, Canada, Japan, and The United States. The pearls are back in London for the tercentenary celebrations until October, when they will join the rest of the exhibition in Paris, opening to the public there on October 27, 2007.

It is the Linnean Society’s aim to make available its primary research material in digital formats to support taxonomic and conservation efforts worldwide as well as providing public pleasure and enjoyment.

The information contained is of critical importance to the correct naming and identification of zoological specimens. The type specimens represent the original concept of new species, exemplified by the specimens and illustrations used when assigning binomial scientific names, the foundation stones of taxonomy.

The collections are constantly referred to by researchers throughout the world and many specimens have been cited and/or illustrated in taxonomic papers. Full references to all such citations are added to the specimen data.

The Linnean Collections are unique and therefore priceless; they are available for research, but because of their importance, they are not loaned out. Producing high-resolution digital images of the specimens will make them accessible to the global community, crucial for taxonomists working in developing countries who otherwise would not have direct access.

The internet and the use of search engines is fast becoming a primary tool for research. By making the Society’s Collections available through web-based technologies, it aims to enable full online access to the Linnaean fishes, shells, and supplementary collections.

Imaging the specimens will:

• allow researchers to rapidly check details of the specimens on-line, including morphological details and written data

• allow evaluation of specimens without the need to visit the Society as these unique specimens are not allowed out on loan to a researcher’s laborator

• safeguard the specimens themselves by reducing handling

The digital archive will create a knowledge resource for all. It aims to attract scholars, professionals and members of the wider community of all ages and abilities to work on the collections – widening the knowledge of exploration and discovery in the 18th Century. This will also enable workers in different branches of biology and conservation to access the many thousands of specimen images and their associated data, from schoolchildren and their teachers to members of the Press.

The digitisation process has arrived at a time when, with the power of the internet, it is possible to provide accurate and trustworthy information to support scientific education, biodiversity, conservation and sustainability data along with background information for biotechnology all of which are very current issues. All fall within the Linnean Society's remit, and it is hoped that this new facility will shed light upon them all in coming years.

As well as providing key data alongside the images there will be an opportunity for users of this valuable resource to provide information and feedback to the Society.  This information can then be used to promote key areas of the collections and build systems based on broader user needs.