author
Albert C. L. G. (Albert Carl Ludwig Gotthilf) Günther
1830–1914
A leading 19th-century zoologist, he helped shape the study of fishes and reptiles through an enormous body of research at the British Museum. Born in Germany and later active in Britain, he became one of the era’s most influential natural historians.
1 Audiobook
An introduction to the study of fishes
by Albert C. L. G. (Albert Carl Ludwig Gotthilf) Günther
About the author
Trained first in theology and then in medicine, Albert Günther was born in Esslingen, in what is now Germany, on October 3, 1830. His scientific work soon drew him toward zoology, especially the study of fishes and reptiles, and he eventually built his career in Britain.
Günther is best known for his long association with the British Museum, where he worked on the vast natural history collections and later became Keeper of Zoology. He wrote extensively on ichthyology and herpetology, described a remarkable number of species, and produced important catalogues that helped organize knowledge of animals from around the world.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and remained a major figure in Victorian science until his death on February 1, 1914. For readers today, his name stands out as that of a hardworking scholar whose books and classifications left a lasting mark on zoology.