Being situated near, the Atlantic, Indian and Antarctic marine systems has resulted in a wide diversity of southern African and other marine fauna being held in the collections at Iziko South African Museum.

Early European researchers habitually sent their material overseas so, although the collection became established in 1896, there were only occasional accessions before that date. Since then, the collection has grown and collaboration with universities, commercial fishing companies, government departments and the general public, who have donated material to these collections, has resulted in them being considered to be amongst the best in the world. Staff and local and international scientists and students study the collections. The majority of the specimens are preserved in alcohol, although plankton samples, medusae and larval fishes are preserved in formalin. There is an excellent dry mollusc collection and a fish osteological collection. The collections also include slides. A significant proportion of the collections has been computerized.

Marine Invertebrates

Comprehensive collections of mainly marine animals include most of the invertebrates found off our coast. Coverage extends into Angola and Mozambique and the Southern Ocean.

UCT Ecological Survey Collection

This comprehensive collection of southern African marine animals resulting from the Ecological Surveys of the University of Cape Town is now housed in the Marine Biology Collection

Crustacean Collections

Iziko South African Museum houses the most important crustacean (crabs, lobsters, shrimps, barnacles) collection in South Africa. Significant past contributions were made by K.H. Barnard, J.R. Grindley and B.F. Kensley (Crustacea).

Cephalopod Collection

This is the largest Cephalopod (squid, cuttlefish, octopus) wet collection in the Southern Hemisphere, with specimens representing global distributions. There is also a very comprehensive collection of specimens of giant squid (Toderodes).

Shelled Mollusc Collection

This collection of southern African species is the second largest mollusc collection in southern Africa. Significant additions were made in the past by K.H. Barnard and M.A. Roeleveld.

J.H. Day Polychaete Collection

This collection assembled by Prof. Day, an expert in polychaete biology, is probably the largest and most comprehensive for southern Africa.

Hydroid Collection

This comprehensive collection was largely assembled by Dr N. Millard, an expert on hydroids, while she was at the University of Cape Town and studied further after she joined the then South African Museum.

Comprehensive holdings comprising approximately 2,200 species of identified bony and cartilaginous fish, mostly from Cape waters, but extending to Angola and Moçambique and the Southern, Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

J.D.F. Gilchrist, who can be regarded as the father of South African ichthyology, at one stage worked at the South African Museum. K.H. Barnard correlated all the information that had been published about South African fishes and later published two volumes of The Marine Fishes of South Africa.

Mesopelagic Fish Collection

This comprehensive collection was assembled as a result of German, French and South African collaboration and includes a significant Myctophid collection, which is one of the best in the world.

Prince Edward Islands Collection

This developing collection arises from Southern Ocean fisheries research and the activities of commercial companies.

Melville Ridge Collection

This collection was made during Marine and Coastal Management research cruises over the Melville Ridge south west of Madagascar.

Fish Osteology Collection

There is a small collection of comparative fish skeletal specimens.

Cartilaginous Fish Collection

This collection has global holdings. It includes numerous representatives of eight of the shark groups, most representatives of the Batoids and Chimaeras, including rare species. Significant material is being acquired from, fisheries research and tooth fish long-lining and fishing company by-catches.

Cartilaginous Fish Skeletal Element Collection

This is the best there is in the world and includes a wide range of wet and dry material and a sub-collection of denticles.

Iziko S.A. Museum’s Marine Mammal Collection includes a comprehensive collection of cetacean and Cape fur seal skeletal material. Skeletal material from other marine mammals is also held. Part of this collection is on exhibition in the museum’s Whale Well.  more>>