The Swedish Expedition to the Gambia in 1950

Researchers from the Zootomical Institute (now Department of Zoology,Stockholm University ) made two extended collecting trips to the Gambia.
gamfolk
From left to right Afzelius, Johnels, and Olsson
in the Gambia. Photograph by Ragnar Olsson.

Objectives of both trips were to obtain fish specimens for studies of anatomy and embryology, and in particular of "primitive" fishes such as lungfish and bichirs. The first expedition was realised by Gustav S.O. Svensson and Birger Rudebeck in 1931 (Svensson, 1933).

Fiskar
A second expedition took place in 1950. Members were Alf G. Johnels, Ragnar Olsson, and Björn Afzelius. The team arrived in Gambia on 27 May 1950 and traveled upriver to reach their quarters in Bansang on 12 June. Afzelius and Johnels returned to Sweden on 27 October, Olsson remained three more weeks, returning on 20 November 1950.
All material collected during the 1950 expedition, except a small portion that was consumed in the anatomical studies, was maintained in good order in the Department of Zoology, but was eventually transferred to the SwedishMuseum of Natural History, where practically all of it is now computer catalogued.
Johnels (1954) provided a comprehensive description of the collecting conditions and a list of species collected. Three new species were described by Johnels, viz. Pellonula afzeliusi, Barbus svenssoni and Syngnathus olssoni. Daget later named Chrysichthys johnelsi, partly on the basis of material collected by the Swedish expedition

Find out more:
The first expedition
Collecting sites
Expedition Diary Sample
Species list
Alf Johnels: Terrestrial locomotion in Clarias

Credits: Top drawing from Johnels (1954: fig. 8), developmental stage VII of Hyperopisus bebe.

References
JOHNELS, A. G. 1954. Notes on fishes from theGambia River . Arkiv för Zoologi 6: 327-411.
SVENSSON, G. S. O. 1933. Fresh water fishes from the Gambia River ( British West Africa ). Results of the Swedish expedition 1931. Kungl. Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar (3) 12 (3): 1-102.
Page updated: 2008-11-26
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