Anastasio Cocco

Anastacio Cocco sometimes Anastasio (29 August 1799, Messina – 26 February 1854, Messina) was an Italian naturalist who specialised in marine biology.

Cocco was a pharmacist. He was especially interested in fish and described several taxa from the Straits of Messina. In 1852 his friend the German scientist Eduard Rüppell named the fish Microichthys coccoi to honour his name. He was a friend and correspondent of many other naturalists notably Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Antoine Risso and August David Krohn.

Works

Partial list

• Cocco, A. 1829. Su di alcuni pesci de'mari di Messina. Giornale di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti per la Sicilia (Palermo) 7 26(77): 138–147 [146]. Contains the description of Argyropelecus hemigymnus Cocco, 1829 the Halfnaked Hatchetfish.
• Cocco, A. 1838. Su di alcuni Salmonidi del mare di Messina; lettera al Ch. D. Carle Luciano Bonaparte. Nuovi Annali delle Scienze Naturali. Bologna 1(2): 161–194 pls 5–8 [167, pl. 5(2)] Contains the description of Power's Deep-water Lightfish (Cocco, 1838).
• with Rüppell, E. 1844. Intorno ad alcuni cefalopodi del mare di Messina: lettera del Dr. Eduardo Rüppell di Frankfort sul Meno al Prof. Anastasio Cocco. Giornale del Gabinetto Letteràrio di Messina, 5(27-28):129-135, 2 figures.