The first St. Ottilien missionaries who were sent out to East Africa in 1887 had a mandate from the head of the community to send back to St. Ottilien as much illustrative material as possible. This was to give the home-based community members an idea of the local circumstances abroad and to prepare young confreres for their future mission work. The missionary collection created by these efforts opened to the public in 1911; it is the base for the present-day Missionsmuseum. Due to frequent changes of location in the mission country, brisk construction activity resulting from high demand for space and shortage of personnel, it is unlikely the collecting activities started before 1894.

Attention focused on cultural and natural history objects of all kinds. The latter included zoologica collected on shore. Starting from the end of 1889, the Missionary Benedictines operated a house in Dar es Salaam, and from 1901 another house in Lindi, in the southeast of the country. From these two seaside towns most zoological objects from the sea are likely to have come to St. Ottilien.

The exact provenance of the objects from the natural history collection of the museum is documented only for a small part of the objects; records about the origin of the objects were not a primary focus of the St. Ottilien missionaries. Today, most of the animals in the collection as well as the depository of the Missionsmuseum come under the regulations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild flora and fauna issued in 1976. However, we know for sure that our zoological collection originates from decades earlier.
 

Pfeil runterWhale vertebra

Inventory no Z7005

From the inventory book: "The bone was washed up to the Zanzibar coast and was acquired there by Reverendissimus (i.e. Archabbot Norbert Weber, 1870 – 1956)."

Pfeil runterSea turtle

Inventory no 3039

All seven species of sea turtle are today endangered animals; they are especially vulnerable when they come ashore to lay their eggs.
Sea turtles have a flattened streamline body and paddle forelegs. In contrary to their terrestrial relatives, they are carnivores.

The exhibited specimen of unknown provenance has bullet holes.

Pfeil runterManatee skull

Inventory no Z7003

Manatees are herbivore animals. They can be found in coastal regions, often in shallow water.

Pfeil runterDolphin skull

Inventory no Z7047

Upper jaw of a dolphin skull.

Pfeil runterShark jaw

Inventory no Z2100

Jaw of a hammerhead.

Pfeil runterSea snake

Inventory no Z2013

Presumably a "beaked seasnake" (Hydrophis schistosus).

This very poinonous snake lives on tropical coastal waters of all kinds. It is said to be unpredictable and can attac divers or snorkelers without any reason. 
The animal is active at dusk and at night.

Pfeil runterMarine molluscs

Inventory no Z2014ff

A speciality of the collection is the "Chambered nautilus", an archaic type of squid with similarities to fossile ammonites which for this reason ranks as a "living fossil".

Pfeil runterStarfish, urchins and horseshoe crab

Inventory no Z2064ff

 

Pfeil runterThornback ray

Inventory no Z2002

Rays have an extremely flattened body and big flippers grown together with their head. Its mouth, the nasal orifices and five pairs of gill slits sit on the flattened bright underside. On the upper side are their eyes and the blowholes with outlets where the water for breathing comes in.

Some types like the giant oceanic manta ray can have a wingspan of 7 meters and a weight of 2 tons.

Pfeil runterSpider crab

Inventory no 2059

Spider crabs belong to the crab species with around 700 marine types; their carapace is more long than wide.
Legs and claws are long and spidery. Body and legs are covered with hooklike bristles where the animals fix algae and other foreign objects as camouflage. 

In the last moulting a strong sexual dimorphism is evident; the males have much biger claws than the females. The omnivores live on algae, animals and carrion.

Pfeil runterPorcupine fish

Inventory no Z2012

Porcupine fish live in shallow subtropical and troical seas; they live coral reefs. Pucupine fish, like blowfish, have spikes on their body which are longer and stronger. In case of danger they blow up with water, the spines erect. In this defensive attitude they can only be devoured by large fish.