Anastasio Cocco Explained

Anastasio Cocco (29 August 1799, Messina – 26 February 1854, Messina) was an Italian naturalist who specialized in marine biology.

Cocco was a pharmacist. He was especially interested in fish and described several taxa from the Straits of Messina. In 1852 his friend the German scientist Eduard Rüppell named a fish Microichthys coccoi to honor his name. He was a friend and correspondent of many other naturalists notably Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Antoine Risso and August David Krohn.

Works

Partial list

• Cocco, A. 1829. Su di alcuni pesci de'mari di Messina. Giornale di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti per la Sicilia (Palermo) 7 26(77): 138–147 [146]. Contains the description of Argyropelecus hemigymnus Cocco, 1829 the Halfnaked Hatchetfish.
• Cocco, A. 1838. Su di alcuni Salmonidi del mare di Messina; lettera al Ch. D. Carle Luciano Bonaparte. Nuovi Annali delle Scienze Naturali. Bologna 1(2): 161–194 pls 5–8 [167, pl. 5(2)] Contains the description of Power's Deep-water Lightfish (Cocco, 1838).
• with Rüppell, E. 1844. Intorno ad alcuni cefalopodi del mare di Messina: lettera del Dr. Eduardo Rüppell di Frankfort sul Meno al Prof. Anastasio Cocco. Giornale del Gabinetto Letteràrio di Messina, 5(27-28):129-135, 2 figures.