During his incredible career, and even after his retirement in 2004, most of Phil’s work was on a group of cnidarians, known as siphonophores. The Portuguese Man O’ War is the only famous example. Phil described a quarter of all known siphonophores (43 new species), more than anyone who has ever lived. His reviews and taxonomic syntheses were extremely important as they brought order to several confused siphonophore families, stimulating further discovery. The Antarctic siphonophore, Sphaeronectes pughi Grossmann, Lindsay & Fuentes, 2012, was named after him. 

During his long career, Phil took part in over 50 research expeditions and published more than 100 papers and reports, becoming the world authority on his beloved siphonophores (a title he retains to this day). He was a much-loved character, who like all taxonomists continued his work long after retirement. He will be greatly missed by all those who knew him and worked closely with him. He leaves behind his loving wife Vicki, his daughter Emily, son-in law James, and granddaughter, Nina.

Dr Tammy Horton, Research Scientist and Manager of the Discovery Collections at the NOC said “Phil was not only a great friend, but an excellent taxonomist. His research legacy will live long in the siphonophore literature, and I will remember him fondly as I work to preserve the many samples and specimens he collected for the Discovery Collections, ensuring this immense and valuable collection remains available for scientists to study now and into the future.”