Wilhelm Peters

Wilhelm Peters, born on April 22, 1815, was a distinguished German naturalist and explorer whose contributions to biology and zoology are noteworthy. He began his career as an assistant to the renowned anatomist Johannes Peter Müller, which laid the foundation for his future endeavors in the field of natural history.

In September 1842, encouraged by Müller and the illustrious explorer Alexander von Humboldt, Peters embarked on a significant journey to Mozambique via Angola. His explorations of the coastal region and the Zambesi River yielded an extensive collection of natural history specimens, which he meticulously documented in his monumental work, Naturwissenschaftliche Reise nach Mossambique... in den Jahren 1842 bis 1848 ausgeführt, published between 1852 and 1882. This comprehensive study encompassed a wide array of subjects, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, river fish, insects, and botany.

In 1858, Peters succeeded Martin Lichtenstein as the curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum, where he significantly enhanced the herpetological collection, bringing it to a level comparable to those in Paris and London. His primary focus on herpetology led him to describe one hundred twenty-two new genera and six hundred forty-nine species from various parts of the globe. Among his notable contributions was the description of a new fish species, the piranha Serrasalmus irritans, based on a specimen from San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela.