Gilbert Percy Whitley
Gilbert Percy Whitley (9 June 1903 – 18 July 1975) was an Australian ichthyologist and malacologist who was curator of fishes at the Australian Museum in Sydney for about 40 years.
Early life and education
[edit | edit source]Gilbert Percy Whitley was born on 9 June 1903 at Swaythling, Southampton, England, the eldest child of Percy Nathan Whitley and Clara Minnie (née Moass).[1]
He was educated first at King Edward VI School, Southampton and then Osborne House School in Romsey, Hampshire.[1]
Whitley migrated with his family to Sydney in 1921.[1] He started working at the Australian Museum in 1922, while studying zoology at Sydney Technical College and the University of Sydney.[1]
Career
[edit | edit source]In 1925 Whitley was formally appointed to the title of ichthyologist (later renamed curator of fishes) at the Museum, a position he held until retirement in 1964. During his term of office he doubled the size of the ichthyological collection to 37,000 specimens through many collecting expeditions.[1]
After his retirement, another eminent ichthyologist, Frank Talbot, was appointed to his position,[2] later becoming director of the museum for around 10 years.[3]
Other activities
[edit | edit source]Whitley served as president of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales during 1940–41, 1959–60, and 1973–74, and edited its publications from 1947 to 1971.[1]
He served on the councils of the Royal Australian Historical Society and the Anthropological Society of New South Wales. He was a member of the Great Barrier Reef Committee, and served as president of the Linnean Society of New South Wales from 1963 to 1964.[1]
He also had involvement with the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science.[1]
Publications
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Recognition
[edit | edit source]- 1934: Elected fellow, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales[1]
- 1967: Natural History Medallion, by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria[1]
- 1970: Clarke Medal, by the Royal Society of New South Wales[1]
Death and legacy
[edit | edit source]Whitley died in Sydney on 18 July 1975.[1]
The Whitley Awards for zoological literature were named in his honour, established in 1979 by the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales[4] and continuing to this day (as of 2024).[5]
His zoological author abbreviation was "Whitley".[6]
Taxa named in his honour
[edit | edit source]- Diaphus whitleyi, Fowler, 1934 is a species of lanternfish found in the Philippines and the Western Central Pacific Ocean.[7]
- The Bigcheek snailfish, Psednos whitleyi Stein, Chernova & Andriashev, 2001 is a species of snailfish found in the Eastern Indian Ocean.[8]
- Whitley's boxfish Ostracion whitleyi Fowler, 1931[9] is a species of boxfish found in the Eastern Central Pacific Ocean.
Taxa described by him
[edit | edit source]References
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