Ernst Vanhöffen (15 November 1858, in

Wehlau Znamensk (; ; ; ) is a rural locality (a settlement) in Gvardeysky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Pregolya River at its confluence with the Lava River east of Kaliningrad. Population figures: Histo ...

– 14 June 1918) was a German

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

Biography

He was born on 15 November 1858, in

. He studied

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

and zoology at the universities of

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

and

Königsberg Königsberg (; ; ; ; ; ; , ) is the historic Germany, German and Prussian name of the city now called Kaliningrad, Russia. The city was founded in 1255 on the site of the small Old Prussians, Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teuton ...

, graduating in 1888 with the thesis ''Untersuchungen über semaeostome und rhizostome Medusen''. In 1889 and 1890, he conducted research of

jellyfish Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies or simply jellies, are the #Life cycle, medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animal ...

at the

Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn The Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn is a research institute in Naples, Italy, devoted to basic research in biology. Research is largely interdisciplinary involving the fields of evolution, biochemistry, molecular biology, neurobiology, cell biol ...

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

. In 1892 and 1893, he participated in a ''

Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin The Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin (''Berlin Geographical Society'') was founded in 1828 and is the second oldest geographical society. It was founded by some of the foremost geographers of its time. The founder Carl Ritter and the founding ...

''-sponsored expedition to West

Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...

under the leadership of

Erich von Drygalski Erich Dagobert von Drygalski (; February 9, 1865 – January 10, 1949) was a German geographer, geophysicist and polar scientist, born in Königsberg, East Prussia. Between 1882 and 1887, Drygalski studied mathematics and natural science at ...

(1865–1949). Afterwards, he worked for a few years at the Institute of Zoology in

Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...

. In 1898 and 1899, 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 In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...

species. After his return to Germany, he served as a lecturer at the

University of Kiel Kiel University, officially the Christian Albrecht University of Kiel, (, abbreviated CAU, known informally as Christiana Albertina) is a public research university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the ''Academia Holsator ...

, 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 Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (; ; ; 30 April 177723 February 1855) was a German mathematician, astronomer, Geodesy, geodesist, and physicist, who contributed to many fields in mathematics and science. He was director of the Göttingen Observat ...

". Led by Erich von Drygalski, the expedition endured periods of hardship due to the "Gauss" being trapped in Antarctic ice for several months.Antarctic Explorers
Erich von Drygalski 1865-1949 He died on 14 June 1918, aged 58, in Legitten. 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 Semaeostomeae (literally "flag mouths") is an order of large jellyfish characterized by four long, frilly oral arms flanking their quadrate mouths. The umbrella is domed with scalloped margins, and the gastrovascular system consists of four unbra ...

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 Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies or simply jellies, are the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals, althoug ...

from the German Deep-sea Expedition 1898–1899. * ''Die Anthomedusen und Leptomedusen der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition 1898–1899'', 1911 –

Anthomedusae Anthoathecata, or the athecate hydroids, are an order (biology), order of hydrozoans belonging to the phylum (biology), phylum Cnidaria. A profusion of alternate scientific names exists for this long-known and heavily discussed group. It has also ...

and

Leptomedusae Leptothecata, or thecate hydroids, are an order of hydrozoans in the phylum Cnidaria. Their closest living relatives are the athecate hydroids, which are similar enough to have always been considered closely related, and the very apomorphic Siph ...

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 Isopoda is an order of crustaceans. Members of this group are called isopods and include both aquatic species and terrestrial species such as woodlice. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons, two pairs of antennae, seven pairs of jointed l ...

from the German South Polar Expedition 1901–1903.

Taxon described by him

*See :Taxa named by Ernst Vanhöffen

Taxon named in his honor

*'' Diaphus vanhoeffeni'', is a species of

lanternfish Lanternfish (or myctophids, from the Greek language, Greek μυκτήρ ''myktḗr'', "nose" and ''ophis'', "serpent") are small mesopelagic fish of the large family (biology), family Myctophidae. One of two families in the order Myctophiformes, ...

found in the Eastern

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. *'' Gigantactis vanhoeffeni'', is a species of deep-sea anglerfish found around the World.

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 The German Wikipedia () is the German-language edition of Wikipedia, a free and publicly editable online encyclopedia. Founded on 16 March 2001, it is the second-oldest Wikipedia edition (after the English Wikipedia). It has articles, ma ...

External links

The Hydrozoa Directory
List of some species described by Vanhöffen. {{DEFAULTSORT:Vanhoffen, Ernst 1858 births 1918 deaths People from Gvardeysky District Scientists from the Province of Prussia 19th-century German zoologists 19th-century German explorers 20th-century German zoologists Humboldt University of Berlin alumni University of Königsberg alumni Academic staff of the University of Kiel