Jørgen SCHEEL
(1916-1989)

Jørgen Jacob Scheel, born in Copenhagen in 1916, belonged to one of Denmark’s oldest aristocratic families. Holding the title of Baron, he pursued a professional career in the Danish Army, rising to the rank of Colonel. This line of work caused him to be interned in the Frøslev Camp, where the Germans placed resistance fighters, police officers, and other opponents of the German occupation during World War II.

Scheel stands out as one of the most prominent figures in the killifish hobby and in the science of oviparous Cyprinodontiformes, especially during the second half of the twentieth century. An aquarist from an early age, he was also an excellent photographer and communicator, producing a large number of documents directed at killifish hobbyists, such as the famous Scheel’s Letters (follow the link at Bibliography section). He also authored several articles in hobbyist magazines as well as scientific papers, but his greatest achievement was the book Rivulins of the Old World (1968) — the famous ROTOW — the first scientific monograph exclusively dedicated to African oviparous Cyprinodontiformes.

Although not holding a degree in zoology and not a professional ichthyologist, his contributions to science were highly significant, particularly through his description of numerous killifish species, subspecies, and even a genus (Foerschichthys), as well as his pioneering work with karyotypes and hybridization experiments. For his contributions to science, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in zoology by Giessen University in 1973.

Through these two paths, Scheel was one of the first to connect the aquarium world with formal science, working closely with several museums and the most prominent killifish specialists of the time. It is well known his close partnership with Stenholt Clausen that began in 1960, after Clausen’s return to Europe from Africa in 1959. Scheel himself mentioned this in one of his letters (#45). Among other things, Clausen supplied Scheel with specimens from his collections, both to be studied and bred in aquariums. Differences of opinion led to the end of that cooperation by late 1966.

Records show that Scheel was not one of the most prolific killifish collectors. Nevertheless, his participation in an expedition to Cameroon with Stenholt Clausen and his wife Martha in 1966 is well documented. He did an exploration trip to Ecuatorial Guinea and revisited Cameroon in 1969 and 1973.

Scheel remained dedicated to the killifish hobby in his later years, maintaining correspondence with aquarists worldwide. He was also fond of mentoring young killifish enthusiasts, such as Mogens Juhl. Scheel often visited young Mogens on his way home from work, and Mogens’s mother felt quite proud of her son receiving such prominent visits. Jørgen often lay on the floor observing the tanks placed very low — about 10 cm high. The Afghan goat fur on the floor of Mogens’s home left Colonel Scheel completely covered with fur upon his departure.

Jørgen Scheel passed away in 1989 at the age of 73, leaving behind a legacy of rigor and curiosity in the study of killifish — a field where hobbyists and scientists continue to collaborate to expand knowledge of these marvellous creatures. (VG)

(The editor wishes to thank Mogens Juhl for sharing his delightful memories of Jørgen Jacob Scheel.)