Sub-collection
Crustacea
This sub-collection brings together over a million specimens and documents the diversity of Crustacea – from historical expeditions to species that are now partly endangered or extinct.
Overview
The Crustacea sub-collection comprises more than 36,500 specimens, containing an estimated one million individuals, most of which are preserved in alcohol (wet collection). It also includes over 1,500 type specimens, as well as around 1,500 dried specimens and 5,000 microscope slides with crustacean appendages and protozoans.
Part of the sub-collection contains species listed as endangered or critically endangered on the IUCN Red List or the German Red List, particularly freshwater species. The isopod species Proasellus nolli, for example, is considered extinct or missing.
Photo: Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN) - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science , Link to source , Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Access
The sub-collection is available to researchers upon prior request. Please contact the relevant collection managers.
A specialist library containing more than 19,000 books and offprints complements the work on the objects.
Contact
Dr Kristina von Rintelen
Scientific Head of Collection
Email: Kristina.Rintelen@mfn.berlin
Telephone: +49 30 889140-8864
Kristine Kämpf
Collection Management
Email: Kristine.Kaempf@mfn.berlin
Antje Schwiering
Collection Management
Email: Antje.Schwiering@mfn.berlin
History
The core of the sub-collection dates back to the 18th century and comprises the collection of the naturalist and preacher Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst (1743–1807).
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the collection was expanded by prominent crustacean specialists. These include, among others, Franz Martin Hilgendorf (1839–1904) with collections from Japan, and Eduard von Martens (1831–1904), who served as curator at the Zoological Museum Berlin until 1904, which later became part of the Museum of Natural History.
Of particular significance are the extensive materials from major marine biological expeditions, including the Gazelle expedition (1874–1876), the Plankton expedition (1889), the German Deep-Sea Expedition with the Valdivia (1898–1899) and the German South Polar Expedition with the Gauss (1901–1903). To this day, these collections provide important data for research into marine ecosystems.
Research
The sub-collection provides valuable insights into the biodiversity of crustaceans. Serving as a foundation for scientific research on the evolution, systematics, and distribution, it houses a number of species that are threatened with extinction and enables changes to be detected over long periods. Such collections are important natural history archives and contribute to deepening our understanding of biological diversity and climate change.
International cooperation is an essential part of the collection. Through digitization and mostly international collection guests, a valuable exchange of information, collection and research data takes place across national borders, which not only promotes scientific exchange but also intercultural competence.