Günther Maul

Günther Edmund Maul (born May 7, 1909 in Frankfurt am Main , † September 28, 1997 in Funchal , Madeira , Portugal ) was a German zoologist and taxidermist . His research was particularly important for zoology in Madeira and Portugal.

In 1930 Maul came to Madeira for the first time, where he lived until his death. From 1940 to 1981 he was director of the Museu Municipal de Madeira (the City Museum of Madeira), whereupon in 1957 the Aquario de Museu Municipal, the research aquarium, was built on his initiative. In the museum you can see mainly stuffed fish and animals that are endemic to Madeira and are intended to be made known to the general public for research purposes.

As a professor, taught zoology at the University of Funchal with a focus on fish and marine animals and taxidermy.

He has published more than fifty articles in international specialist journals.

Maul was a member of the Zoological Societies of London and the USA; In 2006 a street on the promenade of Funchal was named after him in his honor (Rua Guenther Maul). In 2001 a prize called Premio Guenther Maul was donated for the best work by a young Portuguese biologist.

Dedication names

Three endemic fish species on Madeira are named after him: Himentolophus mauli , Pollichthys mauli and Maulisia mauli . The British ichthyologist Peter J. Miller honored Maul in the epithet of the goby genus Mauligobius . Harald Pieper , Storrs Lovejoy Olson , Josep Antoni Alcover and Juan Carlos Rando named the extinct Madeira scops owl ( Otus mauli ) after Günther Maul.

Awards (selection)

• 1982: Medalha de Merito de Regiao Madeira
• 1983: Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• 1995: Grand Officer of the Portuguese Order of Merit
• 1995: Honorary Doctorate from Madeira University

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• Günther E. Maul on obiomadeira.pt