Ichthyopedia: A Biographical Dictionary of Ichthyologists

This volume offers brief biographical sketches of many individuals who have added to our knowledge of the science of ichthyology. It defines “ichthyologist” rather broadly in an effort to give credit to those who, in the absence of research or published contributions, otherwise have made significant collections of fishes, illustrations of fishes, or important donations of ichthyological materials to museums or to individual researchers, as well as to those who made major exploratory expeditions possible. One or more references are cited for each account, allowing access to additional information. 

"This book by two leading historians of ichthyological science is a most welcome addition to any biologist’s reference library. For professionals, the accounts are authoritative and accurate, providing the basic vita for each person. It is the sort of book you want to have within arm’s reach. For beginners in the field, this book allows them to rapidly learn something about the lives of the people worldwide and of all time who have contributed to our body of knowledge about fishes. For both groups, Ichthyopedia is also a most enjoyable book, one that is very hard to put down!"
-Kraig Adler, Cornell University

"A unique work, this impressive volume provides biographical information on men and women who made contributions to ichthyology, including people, such as collectors and explorers, who have added to the advancement of ichthyology although the scientific study of fishes was not their primary interest. The biographical sketches are based on an extensive number of sources that are listed for the benefit of readers who wish to learn more about individual subjects. This reference is enriched by the addition of many photographs."
-Lester D. Stephens, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Georgia

"With Ichthyopedia, Pietsch and Anderson fill a great void by providing vignettes of the lives of fish researchers from across the ages, representing the diversity of those who contributed to the knowledge of fishes, from Aristotle to the 21st century. Exhaustively referenced with key publications for every researcher, this volume will be of great use to historians of science and zoologists wishing to dive deeper into the contributions of the individuals who grew the field of Ichthyology. I will refer all my students to this volume."
-Eric J. Hilton, Professor of Marine Science, Curator of the Nunnally Ichthyology Collection, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary

Theodore W. Pietsch is Professor Emeritus and Curator Emeritus of Fishes in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, and Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, at the University of Washington in Seattle. His primary interests are in marine ichthyology, especially the biosystematics, zoogeography, and reproductive biology of deep-sea fishes. He has published extensively on the biology of fishes as well as the history of ichthyology and the history of science in general.

William D. Anderson, Jr. was on the faculty of biology at the College of Charleston from 1969 until 1996 and is currently Professor Emeritus. A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Anderson holds a PhD from the University of South Carolina. He has published numerous papers on fishes and several on the history of biology. In addition, he has served as general ichthyology editor and ichthyology book review editor of Copeia (the original name), the journal published by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.