Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson is the Collection Manager, Ichthyology at Queensland Museum and has accumulated expert knowledge on Australian fishes for more than 40 years.

Jeff is a recognised authority on the identification and geographic distribution of Indo-Pacific, Australian and particularly Queensland fishes.

He manages the fish collection, but also conducts independent and collaborative research on fishes.

He has described new genera and species of fishes of the families Acanthuridae (unicornfishes), Aploactinidae (velvetfishes), Haemulidae (sweetlips), Pinguipedidae (sand perches), Soleidae (soles), Tetrabrachiidae (anglerfishes) and Uranoscopidae (stargazers). Numerous chapters on fishes have also been written for popular books and guides. Jeff has participated in, or led, various research projects to document fish biodiversity throughout Australia. The results of many of these projects are available as scientific reports, or regional checklists.

Jeff regularly assists researchers and students with identifications, project design and editing. He has wide experience in all methods of collecting and visually recording marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes and is an experienced scuba diver.

In 2021, at the 50th anniversary conference of the Australian Society for Fish Biology, Jeff was presented with the ASFB Hall of Fame Award for his career contributions to the knowledge of Australian fishes.

Current research interests are the taxonomy of aploactinid, pinguipedid, soleid and tetrarogid fishes, biogeography of Australian marine fishes, and recruitment of fishes to artificial reefs.

Jeff aims to improve knowledge and awareness of the amazing diversity of Australian fishes, providing information to enhance management and conservation outcomes.

Areas of expertise

• Classification and distribution of Australian and Indo-Pacific fishes, curation and collection management of fishes, field collection of fishes, underwater visual recording of fish species.