Wilhelm Kobelt

Wilhelm Kobelt (20 February 1840 – 26 March 1916) was a German zoologist born in Alsfeld, Grand Duchy of Hesse. He specialized in the field of malacology.

Wilhelm Kobelt
Wilhelm Kobelt (ca. 1912)
Born	(1840-02-20)20 February 1840 Alsfeld
Died	26 March 1916(1916-03-26) (aged 76)
Nationality	German
Scientific career
Fields	malacology
Institutions	Senckenberg Museum

Kobelt was born in Alsfeld to parish priest Wilhelm (1809–74) and Auguste (1815–97) née Kessler. He studied medicine at Gießen and received a doctorate in 1862. He practices as a physician in Biedenkopf where he began a natural history society, and in 1869 he went to Schwanheim near Frankfurt am Main. He became interested in molluscs and interacted with Emil Adolf Rossmäßler in Leipzig. He became a corresponding member of the Senckenberg nature research society and later became head of the mollusc section. He later worked as a curator of the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt am Main. He founded a journal for malacology.^[1]

Several species of mollusk contain his name, including Fusinus kobelti (Kobelt's spindle), Cymatium kobelti and Hyalinia kobelti. Kobeltia, a subgenus of Arion slugs, is named in honor of him.

Selected publications

• Archiv für Molluskenkunde, 1868 - Archive of malacology.
• Jahrbücher der Deutschen Malakozoologischen Gesellschaft, 1874 - Yearbook of the German Malaco-zoology Society.
• Illustrirtes conchylienbuch, 1876 - Illustrated book of conchology.
• Reiseerinnerungen aus Algerien und Tunis, 1885 - Travel memoirs of Algeria and Tunis.
• Prodromus faunae molluscorum testaceorum maria europaea inhabitantium, 1886.
• Studien zur Zoogeographie, 1897 - Zoogeographical studies.
• Cyclophoridae, 1902 - Cyclophoridae.
• Die Verbreitung der Tierwelt : gemässigte Zone, 1902 - Distribution of wildlife; temperate zone.^[2]
• (in German) Kobelt W. (1909). "Die Gattung Paludina Lam. (Vivipara Montfort) (Neue Folge). In Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen". Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet von Martini und Chemnitz, Nürnberg, 1(21a): pp. 97-430, plates 15–77.