Anguilla dieffenbachii
1875
Frank Edward Clarke didn't just paint this eel; he dissected it visually for science in 1875. You can see his handwritten notes below, obsessing over 'cervical vertebrae' and calculating ratios, turning a simple fish portrait into a biological blueprint. The creature itself—labeled *Anguilla Aucklandi* in the artist's own hand—stretches out in a sleek ribbon of brown and blue, with a quirky top-down view of its head tucked underneath. It’s a perfect example of how 19th-century naturalists used art to catalog the weird and wonderful creatures of New Zealand's waters.
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