James Hamilton McLean

James Hamilton McLean (born 1936)[1] was an American malacologist (a biologist who studies mollusks). He specialized in marine gastropods. He worked on many families of Eastern Pacific gastropods including the Fissurellidae, Trochidae, Turbinidae and Liotiidae, and also investigated deep sea gastropods from hydrothermal vents.[2]

McLean worked as a curator of Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County from 1964 to 2001 and was a Curator Emeritus there until his death in November 2016.[2]

Molluscs described

McLean described about 400 new species.[2]

He named numerous taxa of marine gastropods including:

• Clypeosectidae McLean, 1989, a family of hydrothermal vent limpets

Bibliography

• Handbook, 1969, revised in 1978, Marine Shells of Southern California
• Geiger D. L. & McLean J. H. (10 February 2010) "New species and records of Scissurellidae and Anatomidae from the Americas (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda)". Zootaxa 2356: 1-35, 24 plates. preview.

References

1. Coan E. V., Kabat A. R. & Petit R. E. (15 February 2009) 2,400 years of Malacology Archived 2012-11-11 at the Wayback Machine (6th Edition).
2. (7 December 2007) James McLean: Emeritus Curator webpage at the Wayback Machine (archive index) from Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County website

• Note: the NHM info is still available here

Further reading

• DuShane H. (1967). "Biographical sketch. James H. McLean". News of the Western Association of Shell Clubs 8(5): C15.
• McLean J. H. (1998). "Up close and personal with AMU’s presidents". American Malacological Union News 27(2): 4.
• Groves L. (2001). "Jim McLean retires". Unitas Malacologica Newsletter 17: 4.