. ▁ ▁Within ▁the ▁year ▁he ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁team ▁that ▁h unted ▁for ▁unusual ▁species ▁all ▁over ▁Pol yn esia , ▁to ▁sketch ▁and ▁paint ▁them ▁as ▁lif eli ke ▁as ▁possible ▁and ▁send ▁fish es ▁conser ved ▁in ▁alco hol ▁for ▁the ▁growing ▁collection ▁at ▁Harvard . ▁ ▁Comple t ely ▁self - t aught , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁ren owned ▁and ▁adm ired ▁special ist ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁himself : ▁a ▁sk illed ▁artist ▁and ▁advent urer - s cient ist , ▁he ▁eventually ▁found ▁a ▁new ▁spons or ▁in ▁Ces ar ▁G ode ff roy , ▁a ▁wealth y ▁sc ion ▁of ▁international ▁commerce ▁based ▁in ▁Hamburg , ▁Germany . ▁ ▁This ▁helped ▁him ▁explore ▁and ▁describe ▁the ▁shell s ▁and ▁fish es ▁of ▁Eastern ▁Pol yn esia : ▁Sam oa , ▁F iji ▁and ▁many ▁others . ▁S ett ling ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Hu ah ine ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁he ▁made ▁it ▁his ▁home ▁and ▁headquarters ▁as ▁he ▁kept ▁collect ing ▁shell s , ▁fish ▁and ▁eventually ▁also ▁native ▁tools ▁and ▁artifact s ▁( of ▁anth rop ological ▁importance ) ▁to ▁Germany ▁until ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁when ▁G ode ff roy ▁went ▁bank rupt . ▁ ▁His ▁sem inal ▁work ▁" F ische ▁der ▁Su ed see " ▁was ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 ▁and ▁remained ▁of ▁primary ▁importance ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁generation ▁of ▁ich thy olog ists . ▁ ▁He ▁never ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United