John Lyons, Curator of Fishes, UW–Madison Zoological Museum
There are many job titles at UW–Madison, but only one Curator of Fishes. That distinction belongs to John Lyons, a fish scientist who has spent more than four decades studying, preserving, and advocating for fish and the ecosystems they inhabit.
For the debut feature of “Other Responsibilities as Assigned”—a new Cornerstone column celebrating the weird, wild, and wonderful work of UW staff—we took your advice.
When we asked you who to talk to on campus, Lyons’s name was one that swam to the surface. It didn’t take long to understand why.
Tucked away in an office filled with fish-themed knickknacks—from post cards and pictures to lures and a packet of Swedish Fish pinned to a cork board—Lyons oversees the UW–Madison Zoological Museum’s fishes collection, a repository that is equal parts scientific archive and biological time capsule.
Though Lyons now works part-time, his connection to the Zoological Museum dates back to his time as a UW graduate student in the 1980s. Lyons says he has loved the museum since then and still feels privileged to be a part of it. His affection is shared by a team that includes three full-time staff members supplemented by part-time employees, retired volunteers, and specialists who continue contributing long after their official careers have ended. This dedicated group shares the immense responsibility of stewarding the Zoological Museum’s collections.
23,000 Jars Under the Sea—or Mills Street
Down five flights of stairs from the Zoological Museum’s fourth-floor offices, beneath Noland Hall, are rows and rows of movable shelves holding 23,000 jars that contain nearly a quarter-million fish specimens. The fish are kept in the basement for practical reasons. The collections are very, very heavy, and, in the unlikely event of a catastrophe, it’s better that any liquid preservatives remain underground.
Every specimen comes with thorough documentation and includes a waterproof label with information about what the fish is, when it was collected, where it was collected, and who collected it. There are also freshwater mussels and zooplankton collected through UW–Madison’s Center for Limnology. Some specimens were collected recently. Others date back nearly a century. Each contains clues as to what life was like in the lake, pond, or stream it came from. Picking up a single jar feels a bit like time travel. Together they tell us a story across generations.
Working with the Real Thing
Walking through the museum feels a little like stepping into a library where every book is a piece of natural history.
While the museum uses databases and even 3D printers to support teaching and research, Lyons emphasizes that digital images can never fully replace physical specimens. A photograph can show you what a fish looks like. It can’t provide DNA or reveal microscopic structures that future researchers may decide to study.
For Lyons, that is the heart of the museum’s mission: preserving the real thing. Of course, preserving the real thing comes with challenges. While small specimens can be placed into fixative solutions, larger ones demand careful techniques to prevent decomposition before the preservative reaches internal tissues. And then there’s the challenge of simply finding room enough to store things.
Everything in the collection is cataloged and logically organized, much like a library. But after more than 40 years in the museum, Lyons has the kind of institutional knowledge that only comes from experience—he can immediately spot when something has been returned to the wrong shelf.
What the Fish?
Outside the collections, Lyons serves as one of Wisconsin’s go-to fish experts. Most weeks, people send him photographs asking questions like, What species is this? or Where can I find this fish? He described the process as “Fish Jeopardy,” a game his students really do play in class. This year’s champions earned a couple Kwik Trip gift cards.
As for Lyons, his decades of work culminated in a different kind of reward: having a species named after him. In 2016, fellow researchers named the endangered Tamazula redtail splitfin (Xenotoca lyonsi) in recognition of his decades of work studying and conserving freshwater fishes in Mexico.
But awards and recognition aren’t what keeps Lyons coming back. Instead, it’s his dedication to the museum’s mission and a deep belief in the importance of preserving the natural world.
Know someone with a unique, behind-the-scenes role at UW–Madison?
“Other Responsibilities as Assigned” is looking for future profiles. If you have a colleague whose work deserves a closer look—whether it’s behind the scenes, underground, underwater, or somewhere in between—we’d love to hear about them. Learn more about the kinds of stories we’re looking for and submit your ideas using our Google Form. You never know whose job might be featured next.