J. L. B. Smith | |
---|---|
![]() The second coelacanth ever caught in 1952, with J.L.B. Smith, surrounded with the crew and airmen who flew Smith to the Comoros on order by prime minister D.F. Malan. Image reprinted in Mail & Guardian. Location: South Africa. | |
Born | James Leonard Brierley Smith 26 September 1897 |
Died | 8 January 1968 | (aged 70)
Education | Diocesan College |
Alma mater | |
Known for | Coelacanth |
Spouse | Margaret Mary Smith |
Children | William Smith |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Ichthyologist |
Institutions | Rhodes University |
James Leonard Brierley Smith (26 September 1897 – 8 January 1968) was a South African ichthyologist, organic chemist, and university professor.[1][2] He was the first to identify a taxidermied fish as a coelacanth, at the time thought to be long extinct.