Klaus Rohde (born 1932 in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany) is a German biologist at the University of New England (UNE), Australia, known particularly for his work on marine parasitology, evolutionary ecology/zoogeography, and phylogeny/ultrastructure of lower invertebrates.
Early life and education
Rohde studied zoology, botany, physics, physiological chemistry in Potsdam (Brandenburgische Landeshochschule, Germany) from 1950–1952, and, after moving from East- to West-Germany, in Münster/Westfalen (Germany) from 1953–1956.
He received the degree of Dr.rer.nat. at University of Münster (Germany) in 1956 for a thesis on the behaviour and physiology of Paramecium. Subsequently, (1957–1959), he did scientific work at ASTA-Werke, Brackwede/Westfalen (pharmaceutical industry) on the development of new tests for screening anthelminthic drugs (filariasis, hookworms, cysticercus).
Career
From 1960–1967, Rohde was a lecturer at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, conducting work on the taxonomy, life cycles and fine structure of trematodes and monogeneans and supervising BSc. Honours, MSc. and PhD candidates. He participated in expeditions to various parts of Malaysia and visited many countries in Eastern, Southeastern, Southern Asia, and America.
From 1967 to 1970 he was a Research Fellow (Habilitandenstipendiat) at the Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. Habilitation in Bochum was successfully concluded in 1970 with a thesis on the morphology, life cycle and ultrastructure of the aspidogastrean Multicotyle purvisi.
He moved to Australia in 1970 to assume a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Queensland, Australia, with research on the taxonomy, ecology, life cycles and ultrastructure of the aspidogastrean Lobatostoma manteri and various monogenea. During this period, he visited the Great Barrier Reef as part of his work. In 1972 he was Reader in Zoology at the University of Khartoum, Sudan.
1973–1976 he was Director of the Heron Island Research Station, Great Barrier Reef, conducting research on the taxonomy and ecology of Monogenea and Aspidogastrea. The University of Queensland awarded him the degree of DSc. in 1975 for his parasitological and zoological work. In 1976 he was appointed Lecturer at the University of New England (UNE), Australia, subsequently promoted to Associate Professor and Professor (Personal Chair). In 2001 he became Professor emeritus.
Research and work
Rohde's main research fields are fine structure, ecology, zoogeography, parasitology, and phylogeny of invertebrates, particularly of Aspidogastrea, Monogenea, Amphilinidea, and general aspects of ecology (niche theory, competition) and zoogeography (latitudinal gradients). He supervised many BSc.Honours, MSc. and PhD candidates in these fields, and, jointly with Tim Littlewood at the Natural History Museum London, Nikki Watson, UNE and others, studied the phylogeny of Platyhelminthes, using ultrastructure, life cycle and DNA data.
His most important scientific contributions are on the following topics: Marine parasitology. Latitudinal gradients in species diversity (hypothesis of effective evolutionary time). Niche theory (vacant niches, Mating hypothesis of niche restriction). Phylogeny of Platyhelminthes and other invertebrates using ultrastructure and DNA. Ultrastructure of spermatogenesis, protonephridia, sensory receptors of Platyhelminthes. Taxonomy in particular of trematodes and monogeneans (many new species, 11 new genera and 2 new subfamilies, for one new genus a new family has now been established). Life cycles of Aspidogastrea and Amphilinidea.