The Muséum's cnidarian collection includes all the groups of cnidarians (Hydrozoans, Octocoralliarids, Hexacoralliarids and all the jellyfish) as well as the phylum of ctenaria.

The collection includes around 80,000 specimens preserved in jars in alcohol or dry, under histological slides and in herbariums for certain hydraires and gorgonians. It includes specimens from all oceans and a few freshwater specimens.

The collection of deep-sea specimens is one of the largest in the world, and is constantly growing thanks to the oceanographic explorations organised by the Muséum.

The oldest specimens (1706-1707) of Hydroids and Octocorallia in the collection are stored in herbaria created by Sébastien Vaillant.

The collection’s history can be read in the yellowed old labels, featuring such big names as Péron and Lesueur, Savigny, Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck, Quoy and Gaimard, Valenciennes, H. Milne-Edwards and Haime, who made their mark on science in this field.

Generations of scientists have contributed to enriching the collection, thanks to expeditions by naturalists such as the trip to Egypt (1800-1804), Baudin’s trip to the west coast of Australia, the Astrolabe expedition (1837-1840) and the two French Antarctic expeditions in the early 20^th century.

Over the last fifty years or so, the collection has been enriched by various campaigns in the Atlantic (Thalassa, Biogas, etc.), the sub-Antarctic (on the Marion-Dufresne) and the Indo-Pacific (MUSORSTOM/Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos programme), as well as major explorations (Vanuatu, Madagascar, French Guiana, Papua New Guinea, Guadeloupe, New Caledonia and Corsica) carried out as part of the La Planète Revisitée programme.

Scientists have donated collections made throughout their careers, such as those of G. Faure, J. Laborel, M. Pichon, B. Salvat and H. Zibrowius. J. Goy's collections from the Mediterranean, Brazil and Australia have also added to the jellyfish collection.

The cnidarian collection has applications in fundamental and applied research, in the fields of systematics and biogeography. 

The historical collections constitute time series. They have been used to retrace the periodicity of invasions of the jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca in the Mediterranean over 12 years. They also serve as a basis for museology, education and training.

Scleractinian specimens, listed in appendix II of CITES, are also visited for educational purposes by agents responsible for enforcing the Washington Convention.

The Scleractinian type library (a collection of reference specimens), comprising more than 500 specimens, is currently being reorganised. 

The data attached to the specimens is or will be incorporated into databases and, in the case of mainland France and its overseas territories, into the National Inventory of Natural Heritage (INPN).
 

Magalie Castelin, head of collection
magalie.castelin [@] mnhn.fr