Jena, Gustav Fischer, 1906-1908. Two volumes in two. 4to (34.5 x 25.5 cm). 697 pp.; 16 fine chromolithographed plates (several double-sized, several heightened with silver), two folded maps and 26 tinted and folded lithographed plates. Uniform quarter cloth with original printed limp boards (Part I), and stiff boards and spine covers (Part II).

A very rare part of this important expedition, and one of the first to describe and illustrate spectacular deep-sea fishes (Tiefsee-Fische, also spelled Tiefseefische). Written by the German marine zoologist and ichthyologist August Brauer (1863-1917). "In 1906 he was named director of the Berlin Zoological Museum (nowadays Berlin's Natural History Museum), and later in his career he attained the title of 'full professor'. Brauer distinguished himself in the field of deep-sea ichthyology, based largely on his experiences from the 1898-99 'Valdivia Expedition' as well as in his subsequent analyses of species collected on the journey. He was the first to demonstrate that ceratioids were mesopelagic and bathypelagic lifeforms rather than bottom-dwelling organisms. He described four ceratioid species new to science, recognizing an overall total of 23 species in three families; Ceratiidae, Gigantactinidae and Aceratiidae. He made important scientific contributions towards the multi-volume project Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem Dampfer 'Valdivia' 1898-1899 (Scientific results of the German deep-sea expedition on the steamer 'Valdivia' 1898-1899). He was the author of Die Süßwasserfauna Deutschlands, a work on freshwater fauna of Germany that was published in nineteen parts from 1909 to 1912" (Wikipedia). This work was edited by the malacologist Carl Chun (1852-1914), who initiated the Atlantic Plankton-Expedition der Humboldt-Stiftung (1889), and subsequently initiated and led the "Valdivia" expedition. Divided into "Systematischer" and "Anatomischer" parts. The chromolithographed plates are partly heightened with silver. Provenance: old, circular stamp of the library of the American ichthyologist George Sprague Myers (1905-1985) on both front covers and title top margins. Uncut, wide-margined. Small library stamps on cover. Spine cover of the first volume split, otherwise very good. We found only one auction record. Cat. BM(NH) Supplement, p. 122; Dean I, p. 178; Nissen ZBI, 559; 4625.