Ernest A. Lachner

Ernest Albert Lachner (3 April 1915, New Castle, Pennsylvania – 7 January 1996, Winchester, Virginia) was an American ichthyologist with an international reputation for his research on Indo-Pacific gobies and cardinalfishes.

Biography
Lachner graduated with a bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University. While enrolled in college, he went to Mexico and participated in biological and geographical surveys there. By 1939, he worked on New York State ichthyological surveys. During WW II he served as a master sergeant in the United States Army Force. As an oceanographic observer, he flew on B-25s in weather reconnaissance missions over the Indian Ocean. In 1946 he graduated with a Ph.D. in zoology from Cornell University.

Beginning in 1949, Lachner was employed for 34 years by the Smithsonian Institution as a curator of fishes at the National Museum of Natural History. He retired in 1983 as curator emeritus.

"Dr. Lachner ... led the effort to add 250,000 fish specimens to the museum's Division of Fish collection during his first 15 years at the Smithsonian. His goal was to build the research collection of preserved fishes that is housed in the division and used by scientists throughout the world for ichthyological studies. Also during his tenure, he modernized the cataloguing system to allow for multiple cross-referencing and later helped with the development of a computerized cataloguing system."

Lachner was the author or co-author of 85 scientific reports on ichthyology and related issues in museum curation. He was awarded Guggenheim Fellowships in 1955 and 1959. He participated in Cruise 4B of the research vessel Anton Bruun. The purpose of the cruise, which lasted from early November to mid-December in 1962, was "to evaluate the relative distribution and abundance of benthic organisms inhabiting the continental shelf and uppoer slope of the Arabian Sea."

Taxon described by him

 * See Category:Taxa named by Ernest A. Lachner
 * He named Eviota albolineata, commonly called spotted fringefin goby or whitelined eviota.

Taxon named in his honor
Lachneratus phasmaticus and at least four other fish species have been named in his honor.

The Tombigbee darter Etheostoma lachneri is named in his honor.

Mesogobio lachneri Bănărescu & Nalbant 1973 was also named after him.

The Goby Sueviota lachneri R. Winterbottom & Hoese, 1988 is named for him.

Death
Upon his death he was survived by his widow, Anna Mary Lachner, two daughters, a son, and four grandchildren. Another son died at age 10.