Naturalist-thinker-explorer at heart.

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Systematic ichtyologist-biogeographer-university professor, scientific explorer, wilderness guide by professions.

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My research work is focused on the Neotropical cichlid fishes and I am mostly interested in their diversity, biogeography and evolution, with particular focus on new species discovery.

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Apart from my research expeditions I also organize and co-organize Wilderness trips both with friends and for clients, and these are not limited to the Neotropical area.

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I was born in 1976 in Czechoslovakia. I have been interested in nature from my childhood and later at university I continued with my interest, particularly in tropical fishes as a carrier path. Later during my studies I became more interested into the diversity of cichlid fishes in particular and the Neotropical region in general. I concluded university education in 2005 and since then have worked at university and in the field abroad as researcher, teacher, and explorer of Neotropical cichlid diversity and evolution. South and Middle America has captured my heart.

 

So far I have managed to be the author of 11 new genera and 20 new formally described species, with many more new species discovered (around 100 total) but yet unpublished, or scooped by other teams :-). Recently in one single study I and coauthors have found more that 50 new species in a single genus (Crenicichla), and 25 new species in another genus (Bujurquina).

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I have organized 33 expeditions into Middle and South America and have seen most corners of this magnificent and most beautiful region. In all these expeditions I combine my research passion and work with my love for nature.