Phil Heemstra
Phillip Clarence Heemstra (9 December 1941 – 29 August 2019) was an American-South African ichthyologist. He was born in Melrose Park, Illinois, United States as the son of Clarence William Heemstra and his wife, Lydia (born Epcke). He attended school in Ottawa, Illinois, and completed a B.Sc. Zoology in 1963 at the University of Illinois at Urbana, Illinois, as well as his MSc degree (1968) and doctorate (1974) in marine biology at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida. He moved to live in South Africa in 1978.[1]
Phil Heemstra | |
|---|---|
| Born | Phil Clarence Heemstra 9 December 1941 Melrose Park, Illinois, United States |
| Died | 29 August 2019 (aged 77) |
| Nationality | American/South African |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois University of Miami |
| Spouse | Elaine Margaret Heemstra |
| Children | 3 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Ichthyologist |
At the time of his death, Heemstra was a curator emeritus of the South African Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB, formerly the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology). He specialized in ichthyology and marine fish taxonomy.[2]
Career
Heemstra was, among other things, a biologist at the marine laboratory of the U.S. Department of Natural Resources in Florida, and from 1978 to 2001 a curator of fish at J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology in Grahamstown (now the SAIAB).
His work included research on systematics, biology (especially reproduction), zoo-geography and marine fish conservation, a survey of the fish diversity of Southern Africa and the western Indian Ocean, and the identification of marine fish for institutions in South Africa and overseas. He has also been a consultant to numerous publications and the author or co-author of several books, including Coastal Fishes of Southern Africa[3] with Elaine Heemstra. He received many honours from various institutions.
Taxon described by him
- See Category:Taxa named by Phillip C. Heemstra
Memberships
He was a member of, among others, the Zoological Society of Southern Africa, the Ichthyological Society of Japan, the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, and the Society of Systematic Biologists.
Taxon named in his honor
- Pseudanthias heemstrai, the orange-headed anthias is named after him.[4]
- Upeneus heemstra Ublien & Gouws, 2014[5] (Heemstra goatfish)
- Cociella heemstrai Knapp 1996[6]
- Pteropsaron heemstrai Nelson 1982 [7]
- Acropoma heemstrai Okamoto & Golani, 2017[7]
- Aseraggodes heemstrai Randall & Gon 2006[8]
- Neocaristius heemstrai ((I. A. Trunov, E. I. Kukuev & Parin 2006)[9]
- Mascarenichthys heemstrai Schwarzhans & Møller 2007[10]
- Kenyaconger heemstrai D. G. Smith & Karmovskaya, 2003[11]
Personal life
Heemstra married Elaine Margaret Grant on 15 March 1991; Elaine has a son, Andrew Grant. Phil and his first wife, Valerie, have two daughters, Lydia and Julia.
References
- Heemstra, Phillip C.; Heemstra, Elaine; Ebert, David A.; Holleman, Wouter; Randall, John E., eds. (2022). "Contributors: Phillip C. Heemstra" (PDF). Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean. Vol. 1 (1st ed.). Makhanda, South Africa: South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. p. 121. ISBN 978-1-990951-28-2. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- Holleman, Wouter (March 2020). "Phillip C. Heemstra (1941–2019): Ichthyologist extraordinaire". South African Journal of Science. 116 (3/4): 1–2. doi:10.17159/sajs.2020/7812. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- Coastal Fishes of Southern Africa. Phil & Elaine Heemstra. 2004. ISBN 1-920033-01-7
- Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order PERCIFORMES: Suborder SERRANOIDEI: Family SERRANIDAE (part 1)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- Uiblein, Franz & Gouws, Gavin (2014). "A new goatfish species of the genus Upeneus (Mullidae) based on molecular and morphological screening and subsequent taxonomic analysis". Marine Biology Research. 10 (7): 655–681. doi:10.1080/17451000.2013.850515. S2CID 83710235.
- Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order PERCIFORMES: Suborder PLATYCEPHALOIDEI: Families BEMBRIDAE, PARABEMBRIDAE, PLATYCEPHALIDAE, HOPLICHTHYIDAE and PLECTROGENIIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order PEMPHERIFORMES: Families CHAMPSODONTIDAE, CREEDIIDAE, LEPTOSCOPIDAE, HEMEROCOETIDAE, HOWELLIDAE, SYNAGROPIDAE, MALAKICHTHYIDAE, ACROPOMATIDAE, SYMPHYSANODONTIDAE, EPIGONIDAE, POLYPRIONIDAE, LATEOBRACIDAE, GLAUCOSOMATIDAE, PEMPHERIDAE, BATHYCLUPEIDAE, PENTACEROTIDAE, OSTRACOBERYCIDAE and BANJOSIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order CARANGIFORMES (part 4): Families SOLEIDAE and CYNOGLOSSIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order SCOMBRIFORMES: Families AMARSIPIDAE, CENTROLOPHIDAE, NOMEIDAE, ARIOMMATIDAE, TETRAGONURIDAE, STROMATEIDAE, ARRIPIDAE, BRAMIDAE, CARISTIIDAE, CHIASMODONTIDAE, POMATOMIDAE and SCOMBROPIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order OPHIDIIFORMES: Families BYTHITIDAE and DINEMATICHTHYIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order ANGUILLIFORMES: Families MURAENESOCIDAE, NETTASTOMATIDAE, CONGRIDAE, MORINGUIDAE, CYEMATIDAE, NEOCYEMATIDAE, MONOGNATHIDAE, SACCOPHARYNGIDAE, EURYPHARYNGIDAE, NEMICHTHYIDAE, SERRIVOMERIDAE and ANGUILLIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 28 April 2022.