A butterfly fish (Chaetodon mertensis) taken at Bikini Atoll

Summary

A butterfly fish (Chaetodon mertensis) specimen taken at Bikini Atoll.

Subject

Schultz, Leonard P (Leonard Peter) 1901-

Category

Historic Images of the Smithsonian

Notes

• This butterfly fish was obtained from Bikini Atoll during Operation Crossroads. The Operation Crossroads was an expedition to Bikini and the northern Marshall Islands in 1946 under the auspices of the Department of the Navy. Dr. Leonard P. Schultz was in charge of the biological investigation of the reef fishes in the area. His investigations centered on the relative abundance of fauna before and after the atom bomb tests. Specimens were collected for the purpose of comparison and to make possible a study of anatomical variations among the various island fish populations.
• In 1947 scientists returned to resurvey the region to determine the impact of the atomic tests.
• Dr. Leonard Peter Schultz, Ichthyologist and Field Naturalist, served as National Museum of Natural History's assistant curator of fishes from 1936 to 1938, when he was named curator-in-charge of the Divisions of Fishes, a position he held until 1965.
• See Neg. #s for Operation Crossroads 1947: 92-11701, SIA2010-0924, SIA2010-0925, SIA2010-0927, SIA2010-0928, SIA2010-0929, SIA2010-0964, SIA2010-0965, SIA2010-0966, SIA2010-0967, SIA2010-0968, SIA2010-0969, SIA2010-0970, SIA2010-0971, SIA2010-0972, SIA2010-0975

Contained within

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7222, Box 26, Folder: 4

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

Date

1947

Restrictions & Rights

No restrictions

Topic

• Scientific expeditions
• Atomic Bomb Tests
• Ichthyology
• Employees
• Museums
• Nuclear weapons
• Fishes
• Collectors and collecting
• Smithsonian Institution
• Personnel management
• Specimens
• Explorations and Expeditions
• Testing
• Operation Crossroads, Marshall Islands, 1946/1947
• Museum curators
• Nuclear weapons--Testing
• Smithsonian Institution--Employees

Place

• Marshall Islands
• Bikini Atoll (Marshall Islands)
• Washington (D.C.)

Form/Genre

• Photographic print
• Drawing
• Other

ID Number

SIA2010-0972 and 777488-67 and 37660-g and OPPS 92-11707

Physical description

Number of Images: 1; Color: Black and White; Size: 9w x 6h; Type of Image: Other (Specimen); Medium: Photographic print

Full Record

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