Ernst Vanhöffen

Ernst Vanhöffen (1858–1918)

Ernst Vanhöffen (15 November 1858, Wehlau – 14 June 1918) was a German zoologist.

He studied geology, botany and zoology at the Universities of Berlin and Königsberg, graduating in 1888 with the thesis Untersuchungen über semaeostome und rhizostome Medusen. In 1889-90 he conducted research of jellyfish at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Naples.

In 1892-93 he participated in a Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin-sponsored expedition to West Greenland under the leadership of Erich von Drygalski (1865–1949). Afterwards he worked for a few years at the Institute of Zoology in Kiel. In 1898-99 he took part in the Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition aboard the steamship "Valdivia". From an abundant yield of deep-sea marine fauna collected on the expedition, Vanhöffen was tasked with processing medusa species.

After his return to Germany, he served as a lecturer at the University of Kiel, attaining the title of professor in March 1901. From August 1901 to November 1903 he was a member of the Deutschen Südpolar-Expedition aboard the research vessel "Gauss". Led by Erich von Drygalski, the expedition endured periods of hardship due to the "Gauss" being trapped in Antarctic ice for several months.^[1] Vanhoffen Bluff (Coordinates: 53°0′S 73°21′E) was named in his honor.

Written works

• Untersuchungen über semaeostome und rhizostome Medusen, 1888 - Analysis of Semaeostomeae and Rhizostome medusae. (graduate thesis)
• Die akalephen der Plankton-expedition, 1892 - Acalephae from the "Plankton-expedition".
• Die acraspeden Medusen der deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition 1898–1899. Mit Tafel I-VIII, 1902 - Craspedota medusae from the German Deep-sea Expedition 1898–1899.
• Die Anthomedusen und Leptomedusen der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition 1898–1899, 1911 - Anthomedusae and Leptomedusae from the German Deep-sea Expedition 1898–1899.
• Die Craspedoten Medusen der Deutschen Südpolar-Expedition 1901–1903, 1912 - Craspedota medusae from the German South Polar Expedition 1901–1903.
• Die Isopoden der Deutschen Südpolar-Expedition, 1901–1903, 1914 - Isopoda from the German South Polar Expedition 1901–1903.^[2]

References

• Deutsche Südpolar-Expedition by Erich von Drygalski
• "Parts of this article are based on a translation of a similar article at the German Wikipedia".

1. Antarctic Explorers Erich von Drygalski 1865-1949
2. Works by or about Ernst Vanhöffen in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
3. IPNI.  Vanhöffen.

External links

• The Hydrozoa Directory List of some species described by Vanhöffen.