Ethelwynn Trewavas

Ethelwynn Trewavas (5 November 1900 – 16 August 1993) She met Charles Regan and was employed by him as his assistant until hired by the British Museum (Natural History) as Assistant Keeper in 1935.

She served as the senior scientist in the Fish Section of the British Museum (Natural History) for almost 50 years, and was known internationally as an authority on several diverse groups of fishes. She was best known for her work describing African Rift lake cichlids, but she published extensively on other groups as well. She used laboratory study and extended field trips to research her current areas of study, and often relied on interviews with local people to understand the behaviours, forms and food potential of fishes.

One example of the influence of Regan and Trewavas is that of the currently named genus categories of Lake Malawi mbuna, two are attributed to Regan and six to Trewavas. Of the Haplochromis sensu lato in the lake, five were described by Regan and twenty-seven by Trewavas, either individually or in partnership with David Eccles.

Later in life she mentored prominent researcher Ad Konings, who has continued many of her areas of study. When her eyesight failed she insisted that he accept her stereo microscope as a gift so he could continue her work with African cichlids.

Trewavas died in Reading on 16 August 1993.

Honours Trewavas was awarded the Linnean Medal of the Linnean Society of London in 1968, and elected as a Fellow (honoris causa) of the society in 1991. She was elected an Honorary Foreign Member of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in 1946, and awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by Stirling University in 1986.

Glyptothorax trewavasae Hora, 1938 The threadfin cichlid Petrochromis trewavasae Poll, 1948 Symphurus trewavasae Chabanaud, 1948 Garra trewavasai Monod, 1950 The Lake Malawi cichlid Labeotropheus trewavasae Fryer, 1956 Garra ethelwynnae Menon, 1958 Neolebias trewavasae Poll & Gosse, 1963 Atrobucca trewavasae Talwar & Sathirajan, 1975 Protosciaena trewavasae (Chao & Miller, 1975) Linophryne trewavasae Bertelsen, 1978 Gobiocichla ethelwynnae Roberts, 1982 Phenacostethus trewavasae Parenti, 1986 The Lake Malawi cichlid Aulonocara ethelwynnae M. K. Meyer, Riehl & Zetzsche, 1987 Tylochromis trewavasae Stiassny, 1989 Triplophysa trewavasae Mirza & Ahmad, 1990 Johnius trewavasae Sasaki, 1992 The eel Rhynchoconger trewavasae Ben-Tuvia, 1993

Etia Schliewen & Stiassny, 2003 (Explanation: Her colleagues often called her by her initials, E.T.) †Trewavasia White & Moy-Thomas, 1941

After her death, the memory of her contributions remained. Posthumous honorific names are, as of 2009: The Lake Malawi cichlid Copadichromis trewavasae Konings, 1999 Placidochromis trewavasae Hanssens, 2004

Publications (incomplete) 1983: Tilapiine Fishes of the Genera "Sarotherodon", "Oreochromis" and "Danakilia" . 583 pages. London: British Museum (Natural History)

Taxa described by her See :Category:Taxa named by Ethelwynn Trewavas