Photograph of Karl Lang

Biographical Information-
Karl Lang

David Drumm¹, Richard Heard², and Kim Larsen³

^1,2Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
³Zoological Museum of Copenhagen

Citation for this web site: Drumm, D., R. Heard, & K. Larsen. 2006, August 29. Tanaidacea Web Site. <http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/tanaids/> Accessed on [Date].

WWW Tanaidacea Web site

Biographical Sketch | Tanaidacean Taxa described by Karl Lang | Publications on Tanaidacea by Karl Lang

Biographical Sketch

Although largely known for his extensive and excellent studies on harpacticoid Copepoda, Karl Lang is also considered the founder of modern Tanaidacean taxonomy. Below is part of an article honoring him that appeared in Crustaceana (33: 210-214) in 1977. It presents the salient details of this pioneering and exceptional zoologist's productive life:

Karl Georg Herman Lang
(1901 - 1976)
by
Ake Andersson and F. D. Por

Karl Georg Herman Lang was born on the 21st of July in Malmö [Sweden]. His early years were characterized by tight economic circumstances with only small possibilities to develop his interest in plants and animals. During some years he was the chairman of the biological society of his secondary school. He qualified as a student in 1921.

In 1922 Lang passed an examination as elementary school teacher and was in active service as such for one year. He started his studies at the University of Lund in 1924 and defended his doctor's thesis (Faunistischökologische Untersuchungen...) in 1931. Lang stayed at the University of Lund until 1939, but from that year until 1947 he worked as a teacher at secondary schools in Eslöv, Lund, and Stockholm. During this period, along with the teaching, Lang accomplished the main part of the work on his "Monographie der Harpacticiden", published in 1948. This strenuous work contributed to cause complicated gastric disease, which highly weakened his constitution for the rest of his life.

In 1947 Lang was appointed assistant at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, and in 1950 he was called upon as professor and head of the Section of Invertebrate Zoology at this Museum. He retired with a pension in 1967. Professor Lang died on the 14th of March 1976.

Karl Lang was a taxonomist of the great old tradition, careful in his approach and monographic in his goals. The present day status of the Copepoda Harpacticoida is unthinkable without Lang's contribution. In the domain of "these most difficult of the difficult Copepoda he built up a system as well as a worldwide monographic baseline through his major opus "Monographie der Harpacticiden" (1948). Eighteen years later, in his voluminous "Copepoda Harpacticoida. from the Californian Pacific Coast" (1965), he updated his system of Harpacticoida. Indeed, owing to his efforts, the Harpacticoida, can today be much easier studied and are much better known than other much more obvious and ecologically important suborders of Copepoda.

Karl Lang also produced some worthwhile beginnings for a general system of the order Copepoda- a task nobody shouldered in our century. His paper on "Notodelphyoida" (1948) and the paper on the sternal furca of the Caligidae (1951) contain some ideas in this direction.

While his work on Harpacticoida stopped in 1965, his preoccupation with the Tanaidacea proved to be more long lasting. Here Lang's approach was more step-wise and careful. His eight papers of the series "Taxonomische und phylogenetische Untersuchungen über die Tanaidacea" were meant to lead to a system of the Tanaidacea, of which he was able to sketch a few main strokes: the division of the order into Monokonophora and Dikonophora, the transitional position of the Neotanaidae, etc.

Another major paper resulting from his only extensive collecting trip abroad to California, was his work on the Microcerberus (Isopoda). Comparative anatomy of the genus and a broad critical discussion accompanies this only isopod paper of Lang. Brief mention should be made also of his very important papers on Priapulida and his discussion of this controversia1 phylum. Lang's Kinorhyncha papers are also classical.

Karl Lang had an Olympic character. He had many followers and admirers, but few if any students. His criticism was often harsh, but generally justified in essence. Suffering from a long illness kept him claustral and embittered. His writing is painfully detailed and accurate; the fact that he mostly wrote in German poses additional difficulties for readers. Also, he did not refrain from creating complicated, vermiform names like Paraphyllopodopsyllusllu and Pseudoleptomesochrella. Aware of the shortcomings of his illustration in his earlier works, he set an example of accurate illustration in his "Copepoda Harpacticoida from the Californian Pacific Coast".

With Karl Lang's death, one more representative of the generation of hard-working, detail-seeking but monograph- and revision-minded taxonomists has passed away. The genus Karllangia among his beloved Copepoda Harpacticoida will perpetuate his name.

Tanaidacean Taxa Described or Co-Described by Karl Lang

Publications on Tanaidacea by Karl Lang

• Lang, K. 1949. Contribution to the systematics and synonymies of the Tanaidacea.-- Ark. Zool.1: 1-14.

• Lang, K. 1950. The genus Pancolus Richardson and some remarks on Paratanais euelpis Barnard (Tanaidacea).-- Ark. Zool. 2: 357-360.

• Lang, K. 1953a. Apseudes hermaphroditicus n. sp., a hermaphroditic tanaid from the Antarctic.-- Ark. Zool. 2: 341-350.

• Lang, K. 1953b. The postmarsupial development of the Tanaidacea.-- Ark. Zool. 2: 409-421.

• Lang, K. 1955. Tanaidacea from tropical West Africa.-- Atlantide Report 3: 57-81.

• Lang, K. 1956a. Tanaidacea aus Brasilien, gesammelt von Prof. Dr. A. Remane und Dr. S. Gerlach.-- Kieler Meeresforsch 12: 249-260.

• Lang, K. 1956b. Neotanaidae nov. fam., with some remarks on the phylogeny of the Tanaidacea.-- Ark. Zool. 2: 469-475.

• Lang, K. 1956c. Kalliapsedidae, a new family of Tanaidacea.-- B. Hanström, Zoological Papers in honour of the 65th birthday: 205-225.

• Lang, K. 1957. Tanaidacea from Canada Alaska.-- Contrib. Dép. Pêche. Québec 52: 1-54.

• Lang, K. 1958a. Leptognathia paramanca n. sp.-- Ark. Zool. 2: 431-434.

• Lang, K. 1958b. Protogynie bei zwei tanaidaceen-arten.-- Ark. Zool. 2: 535-540.

• Lang, K. 1960a. Tanaidacea, pp. 388-389 In McGraw-Hill, Encyclopedia of Science and Technology 13, New York, London.

• Lang, K. 1960b. The genus Oosaccus Richardson and the brood pouch of some tanaids.-- Ark. Zool. 2: 77-80.

• Lang, K. 1961. Further notes on Pancolus californiensis Richardson.-- Ark. Zool. 2: 77-80.

• Lang, K. 1966. Taxonomische und phylogenetische untersuchungen über die Tanaidaceen . 2. Die gattung Parapseudes G. O. Sars.-- Ark. Zool. 2: 549-566.

• Lang, K. 1967. Taxonomische und phylogenetische untersuchungen über die tanaidaceen. 3. Der umfang der familien Tanaidae Sars und Paratanaidae Lang nebst bermerkungen über den taxonomischen wert der mandibein und maxillulae. Dazu eine taxonomisch-monographische darstellung der gattung Tanaopis G. O. Sars.-- Ark. Zool. 2: 234-343.

• Lang, K. 1968. Deep-sea Tanaidacea.-- Galathea Report 9:23-209.

• Lang, K. 1970a. Taxonomische und phylogenetische untersuchungen über die Tanaidaceen. 4. Aufteilung der Apseudidae in vier familien nebst aufstellung von zwei gattungen und einer neuen art der familier Leiopidae.--Ark. Zool. 2: 595-625. Summary

• Lang, K. 1970b. Taxonomische und phylogenetische untersuchungen über die Tanaidaceen . 5. Die gattung Typhlotanais G. O. Sars, 1882, nebst beschreibung einer neuen art dieser gattung. Dazu eine beschreibung der dornenzahl des enditen der maxillulae bei T. pecularis Lang, 1968.-- Ark. Zool.2: 267-291.

• Lang, K. 1971a. Die gattungen Agathotanais Hansen und Paragathotanais n. gen. (Tanaidacea).-- Crustaceana 21: 267-291.

• Lang, K. 1971b. Taxonomische und phylogenetische untersuchungen über die Tanaidaceen . 6. Revision der gattung Paranthura Hansen, 1913, und aufstellung von zwei neuen familien, vier neuen gatungen und zwei neuen arten.-- Ark. Zool. 2: 361-401.

• Lang, K. 1971c. Taxonomische und phylogenetische untersuchungen über die Tanaidaceen .7. Revision der gattung Strongylura G. O. Sars, 1882, nebst beschreibung einer neuen art dieser gattung.-- Ark Zool. 2: 403-415.

• Lang, K. 1972a. Siphonolabrum mirabilis n. gen., n. sp.-- Crustaceana, Supplement 3: 214-220.

• Lang, K. 1972b. Bathytanais bathybrotes (Beddard) und Leptognathia dissimilis n. sp. (Tanaidacea).-- Crustaceana, Supplement 3: 221-236.

• Lang, K. 1973. Taxonomische und phylogenetische untersuchungen über die tanaidaceen (Crustacea). 8. Die gattungen Leptochelia Dana, Paratanais Dana, Heterotanais G. O. Sars und Nototanais Richardson. Dazu einige bemerkungen über die Monokonophora unad ein nachtrag.-- Zoologica Scripta 2: 197-229.

Updated
August 4, 2008
D. Drumm.