The Public Domain Tropical Fish of Sri Lanka

Let’s check out a book from 1830 featuring thirty gorgeous illustrations of tropical fish, a few of which had never been documented by Europeans before. A Selection from the Most Remarkable and Interesting Fishes Found on the Coast of Ceylon (1830) was written by British army officer John Whitchurch Bennett (1790-1853). Illustrations were created by Scottish engraver John Heaviside Clark (1771-1863) based upon Bennett’s own drawings.

The images we have worked on here come from a Smithsonian Libraries 1834 second edition.

Bennett and Clark

John Whitchurch Bennett was stationed in Sri Lanka, known at the time as Ceylon, between 1815-1827. It appears he struggled with some serious financial issues. He was removed from his post in 1827 due to financial mismanagement, and was put on half-pay in 1819 and again in 1828. Moreover, he was imprisoned after a bankruptcy in 1839.

Illustrator John Heaviside Clark was clearly appreciated by Bennett because he got his own fish named after him. Clark published several books, including a book on drawing featuring an innovative diorama The Amateur’s Assistant (1826). His art suggests a full life of travel and adventure. He illustrated African crocodile hunters and the aboriginal people of Australia. He also made sketches at the horrifying site of the Battle of Waterloo directly after the battle, earning him the nickname Waterloo Clark.

The Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans)

This must be one of the most exciting looking fish that exists. The Red Lionfish is a coral fish native to the Indo-Pacific. It has large spikes that protrude from its body that give it a lion-like appearance. Furthermore, the spikes are highly venomous. While a lionfish sting is not usually fatal to humans, it does cause extreme pain, breathing difficulties and vomiting. Lionfish, much like lions, are at the top of their food-chain. There are no natural predators to lionfish. However, unlike lions which are classified as a vulnerable animal, there are many, many lionfish, and there are no worries about their extinction.

The Vagabond Butterflyfish (Chaetodon vagabundus)

Now here’s a fish with a great name! The Vagabond Butterflyfish, also known as the Crisscross butterflyfish, is another Indo-Pacific fish. It’s one of over a hundred species of fish in the butterflyfish family. It’s a rather handsome fish with a black eye mask.

The Bird Wrasse (Gomphosus varius)

The Bird Wrasse is a sequential hermaphrodite. Yes, you read that right. The Bird Wrasse, like many wrasse fish, actually naturally change sex during their lives. As it changes its sex, the fish’s body shape, color and pattern change as well.