American Museum of Natural History Research Library
author: American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History. Recent Fishes (Hall); Hall of Recent Fishes; Recent Fishes; Recent Fish Hall
birth: 1908
death: 1925
Permanent exhibition. Opened approximately 1908 and closed approximately 1924-1925. Located Floor 4, Section CCP. Recent Fishes (Hall) at the American Museum of Natural History exhibited specimens and models of living marine and fresh water fishes (1; 2, 1911-1926), many of which were made possible by the Dodge Fund (3, 1912, p. 55-56).
Exhibits in cases were arranged from primitive to more advanced fishes. Specimens and models included cartilage fishes such as lampreys and hagfishes, sharks and rays, chimaeroids or rat-fishes, lungfishes, deep sea fishes, ganoids including sturgeon, garpike, paddlefish, bowfins, and African bichirs (2, 1911, p. 44-45; 2, 1914, p. 59-63). Window groups in the hall included the shovel-nosed sturgeon and the spawning habits of the slender-nosed garpike (GG 1914 p. 63). Models of large fishes which hung on the wall included two sea sunfish, an Arapaima from the Amazon River, two Alligator Gars, and two Sailfishes (3, 1912, p. 55-56). The model of a giant ray was caught and donated by Russell J. Coles (2, 1919, p. 57). Aquarium exhibits in jars were added in 1911 with live specimens in order to demonstrate sexual differences such as color, breeding habits, and variation under domestication (3, 1911, p. 50-51).
The recent fishes exhibits were temporarily displaced in 1915 according to the annual report of that year in order to unpack material from the Museum's Congo Expedition (1909-1915). The fish were exhibited with the synoptic series of birds in the Hall of Birds of the World. The 1916 General Guide indicates that Recent Fishes was exhibited in its official location within the central pavilion corridor on the second floor (3, 1915, p. 46; 2, 1916, p. 63). Recent Fishes was replaced by a larger ichthyology hall, the Hall of Fishes of the World, which opened in 1928.