Jacques Forest

The hermit crab Ciliopagurus strigatus – the genus Ciliopagurus was erected by Jacques Forest in 1995.

The description of Neoglyphea inopinata was a highlight of Jacques Forest's career.

Born in Créteil on 14 June 1920, Jacques Forest grew up in Maubeuge.[2] He served in the army for a year during the Second World War, and went on to study at the University of Lille after demobilisation.[2] After graduating, he worked for several years for the Office Scientifique et Technique des Pêches Maritimes ("scientific and technical office for marine fisheries"; now part of IFREMER); his early publications concerned a variety of fish species.[2] In 1949, he joined the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris, where he would remain for the rest of his career.[1]

In association with Jean-Louis Fage, Forest began working on hermit crabs, and rapidly became an expert; he described over 70 new species in the family Diogenidae, for example.[1] He also published on other Decapoda, including crabs and, most significantly, Neoglyphea inopinata, a living species of a group previously considered long-since extinct.[1]

Forest was also an enthusiastic field biologist, and took part in several oceanographic expeditions. He launched the MUSORSTOM expeditions in 1976.[1] He was also involved with the scientific journals Bulletin du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle and Crustaceana.[1]

Forest retired on 1 October 1989, at the age of 69, and continued to be involved with the journal Crustaceana until 2003.[1] The Crustacean Society awarded Forest their Excellence in Research Award in 2008.[3] He died on 16 February 2012.[1]

Taxa named in honour of Jacques Forest include:[4][5]

Genera

• Forestia Guinot, 1976
• Pagurojacquesia de Saint Laurent & McLaughlin, 2000 (replacement name for Jacquesia de Saint Laurent & McLaughlin, 1999)[6]
• Jacforus Ng & Clark, 2003

Species