John Richard Paxton | |
---|---|
Born | January 16, 1938 |
Died | October 29, 2023 | (aged 85)
Alma mater | University of Southern California [2] |
Known for | Curator of the Australian Museum's fish collection; President of Australian Society for Fish Biology |
Spouse | Hannelore Paxton [3] |
Awards | K. Radway Allen Award [1] |
Scientific career | |
Thesis | Evolution In The Oceanic Midwaters: Comparative Osteology And Relationships Of The Lanternfishes (Family Myctophidae) (1968) |
Doctoral advisor | Jay Savage [2] |
John Richard Paxton (16 January 1938 – 29 October 2023) was a United States-born Australian ichthyologist, who spent most of his career at the Australian Museum. He has a particular research interest in lanternfishes (family Myctophidae) and other deep-sea fishes. [4] Paxton is a founding member of the Australian Society for Fish Biology and received the society's K. Radway Allen Award in 1997. [2]
John Richard Paxton was born in 1938 [5] and grew up in Los Angeles, California. [2] He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Southern California, beginning with a BA in Zoology (1960) and an MSc in Biology (1965). [2] His master's research investigated the ecology and vertical distribution of lanternfishes (family Myctophidae) in a deep-sea basin off southern California. [3] Paxton completed his PhD under supervisor Jay Savage, on the osteology and evolutionary history of lanternfishes, and graduated in 1968. [2] [3] [6]
Paxton spent most of his career at the Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia. [7] He arrived in February 1968 as the museum's Curator of Fishes. [5] [3] Over the next 30 years, Paxton increased the size of the Australian Museum's fish collection from 80,000 specimens to more than 1 million. [2] [8] This created the third-largest marine fish collection in the world, and the largest in Australia. [8] Paxton attributes the growth of the fish collection to a number of factors, including increases in personnel, new collecting techniques, increased exploratory fishing by fisheries vessels, and a more efficient collections registration system. [7] In 1997, the Australian Museum fish collection included more than 450,000 registered juvenile or adult specimens and more than 500,000 larval specimens. [5]
In 1981, Paxton and colleague Doug Hoese founded the Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, which has since run every four years. [9] Paxton retired in 1998, [2] [4] but remained active at the museum as a research fellow (1998–2006), senior research fellow (2006–07) and senior fellow (2007–present). [7]
Paxton is a founding member of the Australian Society for Fish Biology, and a frequent attendee of the society's annual conferences. [2] He served as the society's second President from 1976 to 1977, [10] and was made an honorary life member in 1991. [2] In 1997, Paxton was awarded the K. Radway Allen Award for his contributions to Australian fish research. [2]
Paxton taught an ichthyology course at Macquarie University in the 1970s, and supervised one honours, three MSc and four PhD students. [2] He has published more than 100 scientific papers, as well as two editions of the major reference text, Encyclopaedia of Fishes. [2] As of 2013, he had described 16 new species and nine new genera. [2]
As of 2013, he had described 16 new species and nine new genera. [2]
Eighteen species and one genus have been named in his honour. [2]
John Richard Paxton | |
---|---|
Born | January 16, 1938 |
Died | October 29, 2023 | (aged 85)
Alma mater | University of Southern California [2] |
Known for | Curator of the Australian Museum's fish collection; President of Australian Society for Fish Biology |
Spouse | Hannelore Paxton [3] |
Awards | K. Radway Allen Award [1] |
Scientific career | |
Thesis | Evolution In The Oceanic Midwaters: Comparative Osteology And Relationships Of The Lanternfishes (Family Myctophidae) (1968) |
Doctoral advisor | Jay Savage [2] |
John Richard Paxton (16 January 1938 – 29 October 2023) was a United States-born Australian ichthyologist, who spent most of his career at the Australian Museum. He has a particular research interest in lanternfishes (family Myctophidae) and other deep-sea fishes. [4] Paxton is a founding member of the Australian Society for Fish Biology and received the society's K. Radway Allen Award in 1997. [2]
John Richard Paxton was born in 1938 [5] and grew up in Los Angeles, California. [2] He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Southern California, beginning with a BA in Zoology (1960) and an MSc in Biology (1965). [2] His master's research investigated the ecology and vertical distribution of lanternfishes (family Myctophidae) in a deep-sea basin off southern California. [3] Paxton completed his PhD under supervisor Jay Savage, on the osteology and evolutionary history of lanternfishes, and graduated in 1968. [2] [3] [6]
Paxton spent most of his career at the Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia. [7] He arrived in February 1968 as the museum's Curator of Fishes. [5] [3] Over the next 30 years, Paxton increased the size of the Australian Museum's fish collection from 80,000 specimens to more than 1 million. [2] [8] This created the third-largest marine fish collection in the world, and the largest in Australia. [8] Paxton attributes the growth of the fish collection to a number of factors, including increases in personnel, new collecting techniques, increased exploratory fishing by fisheries vessels, and a more efficient collections registration system. [7] In 1997, the Australian Museum fish collection included more than 450,000 registered juvenile or adult specimens and more than 500,000 larval specimens. [5]
In 1981, Paxton and colleague Doug Hoese founded the Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, which has since run every four years. [9] Paxton retired in 1998, [2] [4] but remained active at the museum as a research fellow (1998–2006), senior research fellow (2006–07) and senior fellow (2007–present). [7]
Paxton is a founding member of the Australian Society for Fish Biology, and a frequent attendee of the society's annual conferences. [2] He served as the society's second President from 1976 to 1977, [10] and was made an honorary life member in 1991. [2] In 1997, Paxton was awarded the K. Radway Allen Award for his contributions to Australian fish research. [2]
Paxton taught an ichthyology course at Macquarie University in the 1970s, and supervised one honours, three MSc and four PhD students. [2] He has published more than 100 scientific papers, as well as two editions of the major reference text, Encyclopaedia of Fishes. [2] As of 2013, he had described 16 new species and nine new genera. [2]
As of 2013, he had described 16 new species and nine new genera. [2]
Eighteen species and one genus have been named in his honour. [2]