Thayer Expedition Explained

The Thayer Expedition was a scientific endeavor sponsored by Nathaniel Thayer Jr. which was an ecological and biological endeavor undertaken by multiple scientists, took place in 1865, and resulted in various type specimens that were later recognized as new species by those that had attended.^[1]

This expedition, occurring from 1865 to 1866, took place at the end of the American Civil War, its maiden voyage from New York to Rio de Janeiro beginning in the war's final week.

Participants

• Zoologist-geologist Louis Agassiz (1807–1873). He was the leading authority on Brazilian fishes at the time, as leader of the Thayer Expedition (1865–1866) to Brazil.
• Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz She worked closely with her husband in his scientific research. Specifically, she accompanied him as the main writer and record keeper for the Thayer Expedition to Brazil, from April 1865 to August 1866.^[2]
• American geologist Orestes Saint John (1841–1921).
• Thayer's son Stephen Van Rensselaer Thayer also joined as a research assistant.
• Charles Frederick Hartt was a Canadian-American geologist, paleontologist and naturalist who specialized in the geology of Brazil.
• Herbert Copeland
• Colonel Bentos
• Major Cotinho, Brazilian attache of the Expedition.
• William James
• Monsieur Bourget

Species collected (partial list)

• Hyphessobrycon bentosi, the Bentos tetra, ornate tetra or candy cane tetra, is a species of characin fish.
• Astyanax brevirhinus Eigenmann, 1908 ^{[3] [4] [5]} (Another example is a congener of A. brevirhinus, Astyanax bourgeti.)^[6]
• Leporinus agassizii is a species of anostomid fish.
• Gymnocoryumbus thayeri
• Thayeria obliquua
• Astyanax asymmetricus
• Astyanax symmetricus
• Astyanax zonatus
• Astyanax anterior
• Astyanax bourgeti
• Astyanax bimaculatus borealis
• Astyanax janeiroensis
• Astyanax goyacensis
• Astyanax brevirhimus
• Astyanax giton
• Astyanax albeolus
• Astyanax fasciatus parahybae
• Astyanax scabripinnis intermedius
• Astyanax multidens
• Astyanax gracilior
• Deuterodon pedri
• Deuterodon parahybae
• Pristella
• Psellogrammus
• Hemigrammus coeruleus Durbin
• Hemigrammus levis Durbin
• Hyphessobrycon compressus milleri Durbin
• Hyphessobrycon serpae Durbin
• Hyphessobrycon copelandi Durbin
• Hyphessobrycon bentosi Durbin
• Hyphessobrycon panamensis Durbin
• Hyphessobrycon melazonatus Durbin
• Moenkhausia latissimus
• Moenkhausia jamesi
• Moenkhausia comma
• Moenkhausia justae
• Moenkhausia melogrammus
• Moenkhausia australe
• Moenkhausia barbouri
• Moenkhausia dichrourus intermedius
• Moenkhausia llepidurus latus
• Moenkhausia llepidurus içae
• Moenkhausia llepidurus gracilimus
• Moenkhausia cotinho
• Moenkhausia ceros
• Bryconamericus heteresthes
• Bryconamericus stramineus
• Bryconamericus boops
• Bryconamericus breviceps
• Bryconamericus peruanus ricae
• Brycochandus durbini
• Creatochanes gracilis
• Poptella

Notes and References

1. Web site: Astyanax brevirhinus Eigenmann, 1908 . 19 July 2023 . www.zoobank.org . International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.
2. "AGASSIZ, Elizabeth Cabot Cary (Dec. 5, 1822-June 27, 1907)". Notable American Women: 1607–1950. Boston: Harvard University Press, 1971.
3. Eigenmann . Carl H. . 1908 . Preliminary descriptions of new genera and species of tetragonopterid characins. (Zoölogical Results of the Thayer Brazilian expedition.) . Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College . 52 . 6 . 96–97 . 18 July 2023.
4. Web site: Astyanax brevirhinus Eigenmann, 1908 . 19 July 2023 . www.zoobank.org . International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.
5. Web site: Black . Nina . MCZ Ichthyology 20905 . 19 July 2023 . mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu . Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology.
6. Web site: Astyanax bourgeti Eigenmann, 1908 . 6 June 2023 . www.zoobank.org . International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.