Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

26/05/2026

If you dig through the Museum’s Zoological Reference Collection (ZRC), you’ll find thousands of insects and other arthropod specimens collected by 'D.H. Murphy'.

This is the remarkable collection by Professor Dennis Hugh Murphy (1931–2020), a veteran zoologist and expert in insects and mangroves. From the 1960s to 2000s, Prof Murphy explored Singapore’s forests and mangroves collecting all kinds of arthropods from beetles to spiders, ants, crickets, and his favourite group—springtails (Collembola).

In this month’s tidbit of , take a peek into Prof Murphy’s collection and discover what Singapore’s insect diversity looked like in the past!

Written by the Biodiversity Histories team.

📷:
(1–6) Biodiversity Histories
(1, 2) Courtesy of Juliette Murphy
(7) Tan Ming Kai; Aiki Yamada
(8) Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University; ©President and Fellows of Harvard College
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London
Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
Photographed by SIGNIFY, Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

22/05/2026

Learn the traditional Japanese method of gyotaku, or fish printing, using real Museum specimens! Special LKCNHM bags will be provided, although you are also welcome to bring your own bag or shirt* to print. Please note that natural materials such as cotton are highly recommended.

After the workshop, enter the Museum gallery for a tour and find out more about our marine research history through curated storytelling and specimens showcasing decades of scientific exploration. 🐟

Date: 13 June 2026, Saturday
Time: 10 AM to 12:30 PM
Location: Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Learning Lab 2
Get your tickets here: https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/lkcgyotaku0626

*Limited to just one bag or shirt per person.

20/05/2026

A new species of venomous box jellyfish has been discovered in Singapore’s shores. 🪼

In 2020 and 2022, two large box jellyfish from the genus Chironex were found on the shores of Sentosa Island (originally called Pulau Blakang Mati) by beach patrol officers. While the box jellyfish initially resembled the Japanese species Chironex yamaguchii, analyses revealed that the specimens were a distinct and previously unknown species!

Led by Ms Iffah Iesa (Research Associate, NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute) and LKCNHM’s Deputy Head, Assoc Prof Huang Danwei, alongside other collaborators, this study sheds light on the hidden diversity of jellyfishes in the region. The discovery sparked further investigations into collections across Japan and the United Kingdom, eventually leading to the formal description of Chironex blakangmati and more detailed information on the other Chironex species. The paper is published in the Museum’s flagship journal, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.

Read more here: https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/rbz/chironex-box-jellyfishes-cnidaria-cubozoa-chirodropida-in-singapore-chironex-blakangmati-new-species-and-range-extension-of-c-indrasaksajiae/

📷: Iffah Iesa

19/05/2026

Pyram snails are mostly micromolluscs less than 5 mm in size. These sea snails can be found in intertidal zones and brackish waters, where they mainly parasitise worms or other molluscs.

Unlike most molluscs, which have a tongue-like radula that they use to scrape food, pyram snails use a tube-like appendage called a proboscis to suck up their host’s body fluids. Their parasitic feeding usually does not result in the death of their host.

It is quite challenging to determine the species of a pyram snail, as the minute details on pyram shells often require close examination under a microscope. This species, Turbonilla langae, was first identified in Vietnam in 1959, and there have been no other reports until now. It is a new species record for Singapore, as well as an extension of the species’ known range outside of Vietnam.

Explore the latest additions in our biodiversity records and delve into the details of other recent encounters with Singapore’s wildlife here: https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/publications/nature-in-singapore/volumes-and-supplements/

Written by the Outreach and Education team

18/05/2026

This International Museum Day, we celebrate the power of museums to connect people, knowledge, and histories across borders. 🌏✨

SIGNIFY: A Digital Archive of Singapore’s Historical Biodiversity is a project pioneered by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore. It seeks to digitise up to 10,000 historically-important zoological specimens collected from Singapore that are now housed in museums around the world. Many of these include type specimens, which are critical for defining scientific names.

Through collaborations with partner museums and institutions globally, SIGNIFY strives to make these collections more digitally accessible to researchers and communities alike.

From scattered specimens to shared stories, SIGNIFY is exemplary of how museums can reconnect what history has divided, reuniting Singapore’s globally dispersed natural history collections through shared knowledge and stewardship.

Explore the entire archive of digitised records and research at your own pace. All resources are freely available on SIGNIFY’s website! https://signifynaturalhistory.sg/

📸: SIGNIFY

International Council of Museums - ICOM

18/05/2026

[Intertidal Walk to Sisters’ Island Marine Park / Pulau Hantu]—TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT!

Our intertidal walks are back! Join our Outreach & Education Team at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park or Pulau Hantu during low tides to experience a vibrant and diverse world of marine organisms. Get up close with sea stars, crabs, anemones, fish and more, while learning island stories, fun facts about marine life and why protecting these ecosystems matters. Don’t miss this chance to experience Singapore’s coastal wonders!

Schedule for intertidal walk sessions:
Session 1: 20 June 2026 (Sat), 7:30 to 11:30 AM | Sisters’ Island Marine Park
Session 2: 18 July 2025 (Sat), 7:00 to 11:30 AM | Pulau Hantu

Cost per participant*:
$70 for Sisters’ Island Marine Park
$85 for Pulau Hantu

*Excludes SISTIC booking fees. Inclusive of a two-way boat ride between Marina South Pier and Sisters’ Island Marine Park / Pulau Hantu. Meeting point will be at Marina South Pier.

Please e-mail [email protected] for further inquiries.

Purchase your tickets here: https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/lkcwalk2026

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Note:
- Please note that in light of safety considerations, this programme is strictly for participants aged 10 and above.
- Participants aged 12 and below must be accompanied by an adult.
- Participants who have successfully purchased a ticket will receive an email with more details closer to the date of the programme.
- This event is an outdoor activity that may be subjected to the different weather elements and conditions. LKCNHM reserves the right to shorten, delay or cancel the programme in case of heavy thunderstorms or other conditions.

📷: Outreach and Education Unit

17/05/2026

On 26 May 2026, Tuesday, the Museum will be closed from 10 AM to 12 PM. Normal operations will resume from 1 PM onwards.

On 29 May 2026, Friday, the Museum will be closed at 2 PM. Last admission will be at 1 PM.

Thank you for your understanding!

14/05/2026

no cap but our dinos are lowkey fire.

Say hello to Prince, Apollonia, and Twinky on your next visit! Book your tickets here: https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/lkc2015

14/05/2026

Illustrate the natural history of Singapore at a location of your choice, and enter our Eyes of a Naturalist art contest for a chance to win up to $1000!
Unsure how to begin? Swipe left to see how we illustrated old Orchard Road using Museum specimens and information from our interactive map (available on our website)!

For more details, visit our webpage here: https://tinyurl.com/EoNcontestinfo

If you have any enquiries, please email us at [email protected].

07/05/2026

A new short flim by OceanX captures the Into the Deep: Monsoon Rise Expedition, a major deep-sea mission jointly led by OceanX and the National University of Singapore , which was conducted from 7 to 28 Oct 2025.

The expedition explored the largely uncharted waters of the Monsoon Rise, uncovering insights into deep-sea biodiversity and ecosystems in the eastern Indian Ocean.

We’re proud that researchers from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum and the Tropical Marine Science Institute were part of this mission, working alongside scientists across ASEAN and the Pacific to better understand and protect our oceans.

🎥 Watch the film and dive into the expedition here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIJNRY6hLdI&t=330s

Missed our earlier updates? Journey with us through our earlier blog posts:

🔹 Mission launch: https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/mission-launch-of-oceanx-nus-into-the-deep-monsoon-rise/

🔹 Mission complete: https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/mission-complete-oceanx-nus-into-the-deep-monsoon-rise/

🔹 Scientists Q&A: https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/monsoon-rise-expedition-qa-with-the-scientists/

33 likes, 5 comments. "NUS and OceanX: Into the Deep"

04/05/2026

The Museum welcomes scientists from around the world, including new generations of researchers building their expertise through our collections. These photos capture our recent visitors in deep focus—examining catfishes, corals, crickets, and crabs—each specimen a step deeper in their field.

Caught in a shared moment, they all face the same direction: towards what comes next. 🧑🏻‍🔬✨

1. Mr Andy Lam from USP - Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, studied specimens of our Asian-African Siluriforme (catfish) species not accessible in Brazil, with the broader aim of bridging scientific knowledge between Asia and Latin America.

2. Ms Madeleine Louise Widdowson from Natural History Museum, London examined massive Porites coral specimens from our collections and worked on micro-CT scanning selected coral skeletons at the , Nanyang Technological University.

3. Ms Helen H. Haibil from Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology, the Philippines, worked on the taxonomy of Ensifera (crickets and katydids) from the Sulu Archipelago.

4. Dr Hsu Jhi-Wei from 國立中興大學 National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan, conducted further study of Thoracotremata crabs from the Zoological Reference Collection.