Gerolf Steiner

The first edition of the H. Stumpke’s (G. Steiner’s pseudonym) book “Bau und Leben der Rhinogradentia” was issued in 1960 in the most known and serious German publishing house “Gustav Fischer Verlag” (Stuttgard; Jena) specializing in publishing of guides, textbooks and theoretical monographies. The book made so stunning success that at the end of the same year it was republished. Originally the monography had caused a shock, of course: zoologists could not understand a dirty trick for a long time – the trust to publishing house with a well-known emblem – tail-shaking fish – was too high… When the joke appeared revealed, Steiner had been forgiven for professionalism and that pleasure which every reader gets both from the text, and from humour, and from magnificent illustrations. It is not so surprising that the book was republished some times in German (last edition was in 1998 with color illustrations) and was translated to French, English and Japanese languages.