Walter Oliver Cernohorsky

Walter Oliver Cernohorsky (30 June 1927 – 23 September 2014), often referred to as W. O. Cernohorsky, was a Czech malacologist based in New Zealand. Cernohorsky developed an interest in malacology while working as the chief surveyor at the Emperor Gold Mine at Vatukoula, Fiji, publishing scholarly papers on molluscs from 1964. From 1969 to 1988, Cernohorsky worked as the malacologist for Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Cernohorsky became a leading authority on the mollusc families Mitridae, Nassariidae, Terebridae and Costellariidae, and described over 70 species, as well as the genera Dibaphimitra, Domiporta and Neocancilla.

Early life

Cernohorsky was born on 30 June 1927 in Brno, then a part of Czechoslovakia, to Jan Černohorský, a hotelier, and Maria (née Marková). and Cernohorsky's uncle, an officer in the Czech army, was executed by the German Army.

In 1949, Cernohorsky left Italy, travelling to Australia as a refugee, where he worked in factories, brick-works, in Queensland cutting sugar cane and as a surveyor. The following year, Cernohorsky began pursuing his passion for tropical molluscs, He became an honorary malacologist at the Fiji Museum, where he met Franz Alfred Schilder, who mentored Cernohorsky in the scientific practices of malacology. In 1968, he designed three shell-themed stamps issued in Fiji. Cernohorsky also became the facilitator of the Auckland Shell Club, the conchology club originally established as a section of the Auckland Institute and Museum. Two years later, Cernohorsky published the third volume of Marine Shells of the Pacific, with the name Tropical Pacific Marine Shells, adding descriptions of an additional 600 species. In collaboration with American malacologist Twila Bratcher, Cernohorsky published Living Terebras of the World (1987), a comprehensive review of the genus Terebra, covering 268 taxa.

Cernohorsky also worked as a philatelist for Auckland Museum as a secondary role, administering the museum's collection of stamps. He retired from the Auckland War Memorial Museum on 13 May 1988.

Cernohorsky died on 23 September 2014 at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. He was cremated and his ashes were interred at Purewa Cemetery, Auckland.

Recognition and legacy

Eight molluscan species have been named after Cernohorsky:

Austromitra cernohorskyi Carinapex cernohorskyi Cyllene cernohorskyi Hastula cernohorskyi Imbricaria cernohorskyi Morula cernohorskyi Nassarius cernohorskyi Vexillum cernohorskyi

Cyllene cernohorskyi, I. cernohorskyi, M. cernohorskyi N. cernohorskyi and V. cernohorskyi were named in Cernohorsky's honour; has since been synonymised with Conus metcalfii.

Personal life Cernohorsky met his wife Irene in Australia while working at the Golden Plateau Mine in Cracow, Queensland. Anarithma salisburyi (originally Mitrolumna salisburyi) Attiliosa orri (originally Muricopsis orri) Austromitra lacertosa (originally Vexillum (Costellaria) nodospiculum) Austromitra minutenodosa Barneystrombus kleckhamae (originally Strombus (Dolomena) kleckhamae) Calcimitra hilli (originally Mitra hilli) Cancilla baeri (originally Neocancilla baeri) Cancilla scrobiculata crosnieri Conus viola Costapex martinorum (originally Vexillum (Costellaria) martinorum) Dibaphimitra Domiporta Domiporta gloriola (originally Cancilla gloriola) Duplicaria mozambiquensis Gemmulimitra boucheti (originally Mitra (Nebularia) boucheti) Granulifusus martinorum (originally Latirus martinorum) Imbricaria cloveri (originally Cancilla (Ziba) cloveri) Imbricaria kermadecensis (originally Ziba kermadecensis) Isara pele (originally Mitra pele) Lyria grangei Metzgeria shirleyi (originally Boreotrophon shirleyi ) Microvoluta garrardi Microvoluta joloensis Myurella burchi (originally Terebra burchi) Nassaria bombax Nassarius arcus Nassarius fritzsteiningeri Nassarius maccauslandi Nassarius poupini Nassarius rehderi Nassarius reunionensis Nassarius richeri Nassarius taurinospeciosus Nassarius troendleorum Nassarius wesselinghi Nassarius whiteheadae Nebularia dondani (originally Mitra dondani) Neocancilla Neocancilla kayae Neoterebra riosi (originally Terebra riosi) Peculator baccatus Pilgrivexillum nodospiculum (originally Vexillum (Costellaria) nodospiculum) Pisania jenningsi (originally Sukunaia jenningsi) Pollia wrightae (originally Cantharus (Pollia) wrightae) Primovula eilatensis Punctoterebra baileyi (originally Duplicaria baileyi) Pusia hansenae (originally Vexillum (Pusia) hansenae) Pusia marrowi (originally Vexillum (Pusia) marrowi) Roseomitra earlei (originally Mitra (Nebularia) earlei) Scabricola backae Scabricola kingae (originally Mitra (Nebularia) sowerbyi kingae) Scabricola vicdani Swainsonia ekerae (originally Scabricola (Swainsonia) ocellata ekerae) Terebra bratcherae Terebra caddeyi Terebra marrowae Thaluta maxmarrowi (originally Thala maxmarrowi) Tosapusia duplex (originally Vexillum (Costellaria) duplex) Tosapusia kalimnanensis (originally Vexillum (Costellaria) kalimnanense) Tritia signatodentis (originally Nassarius signatodentis) Vexillena choslenae (originally Vexillum (Costellaria) choslenae) Vexillum adamsianum Vexillum malleopunctum Vexillum salisburyi Vexillum takakuwai (originally Vexillum (Costellaria) takakuwai) Vexillum wolfei Volutomitra vaubani Zoila chathamensis (originally Bernaya chathamensis)

The following taxa have since been synonymised:

Engina mactanensis, synonymised with Engina spica Imbricaria (Sohlia), synonymised with Trochactaeon Microvoluta ponderi, synonymised with Microvoluta miranda Morula parvissima, synonymised with Morula nodicostata Nassarius (Cryptonassarius), synonymised with Tritia Sukunaia, synonymised with Pisania Terebra pseudopertusa, synonymised with Maculauger kokiy Viriola samoana, synonymised with Viriola abbotti

Selected works