Invertebrate Zoology

Invertebrate Zoology

Major taxonomic groups included in collection: Porifera (sponges), Cnidaria (corals, jellies, anemones), Crustacea (crabs, shrimp, lobsters), Echinodermata (sea stars, urchins, sea cucumbers), and Polychaeta (marine worms)

Major taxonomic group NOT included in collection: Mollusca (snails, clams, squid). To see Bishop Museum’s marine mollusc collection click here.

Invertebrate Zoology – FAQ

•Only collection in the world devoted solely to marine invertebrates of the Pacific Islands. Focus of the collection is primarily the Hawaiian Islands.

•Material in the collection represents over 100 years of scientific activity in the Hawaiian Islands and Pacific region, including specimens from a number of the earliest scientific expeditions in Hawai’i and the Pacific region: the Albatross (1888-1910), Tanager and Whippoorwill (1923-1924) and the Itasca (1935).

•Collection data provides a chronological history of species in Hawai’i, and therefore can be used to document the arrival of alien species to Hawai’i.

•Unique and important collections such as Hawaiian deepwater invertebrates from un­usual habitats including emerging volcanoes and submerged ancient coral reefs, shal­low-water reef invertebrates from the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and comprehensive collections of invertebrates, all of which are the basis for Bishop Museum’s scientific publication series “Reef and Shore Fauna of Hawaii”.

•Contains material collected and described by some of the most influential researchers of Hawaiian and Pacific biota, such as de Laubenfels (sponges), Vaughan (corals), Hartman and Brock (polychaetes), Devaney (echinoderms), and Edmondson (crustaceans), and from research organizations such as Hawaii Underwater Research Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Navy Ocean Science Center, University of Hawaii, and Enewetak Biological Laboratory.

To request access to the Invertebrate Zoology collection, please fill out our online Natural Sciences Collections Access and Use Request Form

Holly Bolick, Collections Manager
808-848-4156
holly@bishopmuseum.org

Ken Longenecker, Associate Zoologist
klongenecker@bishopmuseum.org

Nicholas Woolvord, Collections Technician
nicholas@bishopmuseum.org

To request a back of house collection tour please fill out our online Natural Sciences Collection Tour Request Form

Read our latest stories.

The Invertebrate Zoology Collection at Bishop Museum contains over 35,000 cataloged lots with over 1,000 type specimens. It is the only collection in the world devoted solely to marine invertebrates of the Pacific islands, with its primary focus being the Hawaiian Archipelago. It primarily houses marine animals that span multiple animal groups, including Porifera (sponges), Cnidaria (corals, jellies), Crustacea (crabs, lobsters), and Echinodermata (sea stars, urchins). The collection represents more than 100 years of scientific activity in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.
Some notable collections of invertebrates found in the IZ Collection include Hawaiian deep water invertebrates from unusual habitats including emerging volcanoes, submerged ancient coral reefs, and the deep mesophotic[TR1]  zone. The collection also includes coral reef invertebrates from the remote marine sanctuary of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument) and comprehensive collections of invertebrates throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago, all of which are the basis for the scientific publication series Reef and Shore Fauna of Hawaiʻi.
 
The collection also contains specimens from a number of the earliest scientific expeditions in Hawai‘i and the Pacific region including the Albatross (1888–1910), Tanager and Whippoorwill (1923–1924), and the Itasca Expedition (1935). It also contains numerous type specimens collected and described by some of the most influential researchers of Hawaiian and Pacific biota, such as de Laubenfels (sponges), Vaughan (corals), Hartman and Brock (polychaetes), Devaney (echinoderms), and Edmondson (crustaceans), and from research organizations such as Hawaiʻi Underwater Research Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Navy Ocean Science Center, University of Hawai‘i, and Enewetak Biological Laboratory.
 
Today, the Invertebrate Zoology Collection provides a chronological history of species in Hawai‘i, and continues to be used to document the arrival of alien species to Hawaiian waters. The collection and its associated information can be used to assist with biological monitoring and control of invasive species. Our staff is engaged in ongoing research throughout Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, including surveys of Hawai‘i’s harbors, monitoring for invasive organisms, and surveys of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to provide a complete checklist of all marine invertebrates.

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OPEN DAILY 9 AM – 5 PM

1525 BERNICE STREET
HONOLULU, HAWAI’I 96817

OPEN DAILY 9 AM – 5 PM

1525 BERNICE STREET
HONOLULU, HAWAI’I 96817

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