18th Century Black and White Illustrations

"Anatomy of Three Fish." Antoine Goüan. Historia Piscium. Amand König, 1770.

Anatomy of Three Fish

This engraved plate details the anatomy of three species of fish in seven figures.

"Anatomy of a Baby Ray." Alexander Monro. The Structure and Physiology of Fishes Explained and Compared with Those of Man and Other Animals. Charles Elliot, 1785.

Anatomy of a Baby Ray

This engraved plate details the anatomy of a baby ray fish.

"Anatomy of a Cod." Alexander Monro. The Structure and Physiology of Fishes Explained and Compared with Those of Man and Other Animals. Charles Elliot, 1785.

Anatomy of a Cod

This folding engraved plate details the anatomy of the head of a cod.

"Anatomy of a Herring." Alexander Monro. The Structure and Physiology of Fishes Explained and Compared with Those of Man and Other Animals. Charles Elliot, 1785.

Anatomy of a Herring

This engraved plate depicts the anatomy of a herring.

"Anatomy of Fish Gills." Alexander Monro. The Structure and Physiology of Fishes Explained and Compared with Those of Man and Other Animals. Charles Elliot, 1785.

Anatomy of Fish Gills

This engraved plate exposes the anatomy of fish gills.

"Chimaera." Laurentius Gronovius. Museum ichthyologicum sistens piscium indigenorum & quorumdam exoticorum. Theodorum Haak, 1745.

Chimaera

This engraved plate features the ratfish, a deep-sea fish related to sharks.

"Fives Species of Fish in Five Figures." Laurentius Gronovius. Museum ichthyologicum sistens piscium indigenorum & quorumdam exoticorum. Theodorum Haak, 1745.

Five Species of Fish in Five Figures

This engraved plate features an interesting mix of fish from Gronovius's personal collection. It includes freshwater fish, such as the wels catfish (Fig 1), and saltwater fish.

"Four Species of Fish in Five Figures." Laurentius Gronovius. Museum ichthyologicum sistens piscium indigenorum & quorumdam exoticorum. Theodorum Haak, 1745. 

Four Species of Fish in Five Figures

This engraved plate features four species of fish from Gronovius's personal collection.

"Internal Anatomy of a Ray." Alexander Monro. The Structure and Physiology of Fishes Explained and Compared with Those of Man and Other Animals. Charles Elliot, 1785.

Internal Anatomy of a Ray

This enormous folding engraved plate spans over 60 cm when opened.

"Internal Anatomy of the Head of a Cod." Alexander Monro. The Structure and Physiology of Fishes Explained and Compared with Those of Man and Other Animals. Charles Elliot, 1785.

Internal Anatomy of the Head of a Cod

This large folding engraved plate details some of the internal anatomy of the head of a cod.

"Plecostomus." Laurentius Gronovius. Museum ichthyologicum sistens piscium indigenorum & quorumdam exoticorum. Theodorum Haak, 1745.

Plecostomus

Plecostomus is the genus for the algae eater, an aquarium fish commonly purchased to scrape algae from the glass of fish tanks.

"Six Species of Fish in Six Figures." Laurentius Gronovius. Museum ichthyologicum sistens piscium indigenorum & quorumdam exoticorum. Theodorum Haak, 1745.

Six Species of Fish in Six Figures

This engraved plate features six species of fish from the personal collection of Gronovius.

"Skeletal Anatomy of One Fish." Antoine Goüan. Historia Piscium. Amand König, 1770.

Skeletal Anatomy of One Fish

This engraved plate depicts the skeletal anatomy of a fish in seven figures.

"Three Species of Fish in Five Figures." Laurentius Gronovius. Museum ichthyologicum sistens piscium indigenorum & quorumdam exoticorum. Theodorum Haak, 1745.

Three Species of Fish in Five Figures

This engraved plate depicts three species of fish from Gronovius's personal collection.

"Two Species of Fish in Four Figures." Laurentius Gronovius. Museum ichthyologicum sistens piscium indigenorum & quorumdam exoticorum. Theodorum Haak, 1745.

Two Species of Fish in Four Figures

Two species of fish, a Plecostomus and catfish, are depicted in four engraved figures.