Re: NANFA-L-- euthanasia - Clove Oil

anutej-in-loxinfo.co.th
Thu, 31 Aug 2006 02:00:26 +0700

That is quite similar to what I do if there is enough time in the
field to do so, but I chill the fish first in icy water, then put them
up on foam sheet to pin up their fins. After painting fins with
formalin and leave them be for around 10 minutes the fins will remain
open forever. This is not for DNA study though, and the fish is not
happy about icy water...

Btw sometimes chilled fish's green color can change from green to
blue.

Tony

Bonnie McNeely wrote:
>
> Well, for the best formalin fixed specimens for photography, cold and formalin work well together. I learned this from several older guys, and it is in several publications now. Make up a very strong formaldehyde solution, one part of the 37% formaldehyde stock solution, one part water. Chill the container in cracked ice in a cooler for several hours before use. Drop the specimens as you collect them into the prepared, cold solution. Bing. That's how Barber prepared the fish for his darter book, except he actually put ice into the formaldehyde. For anyone who wants to photograph prepared specimens showing beautiful natural color and details of morphology, it's worth looking at Barber's description of his methods, and following or modifying them.
>
> Of course, the fish can't be released afterword!
>
> Dave
>
> Peter Unmack <peter.lists-in-> wrote:
> On Wed, 30 Aug 2006, Todd D. Crail wrote:
>
> > "Much to the bane of some ichthyologists because they don't get the firm
> > color reaction or extended fins because the fish aren't struggling."
>
> I totally don't buy that argument, although I've heard it many times. My
> specimens come out looking just great most of the time in terms of their
> fins. Color fades anyway and I'm not really sure that dieing in formalin
> really increases color any. I'd like to see someone do some comparisons
> between formalin death and clove oil death to see if it really matters. I
> very much doubt it. Of course, if you store you jars of formalin in the
> sun / don't fill the jars up then your specimens are screwed anyway. I'm
> always amazed by how few ichthyologists actually carry their specimens in
> coolers. Once they get heated up for too long then you have just wasted
> your time as in the long term as they don't make good specimens.
>
> Cheers
> Peter
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/ reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more information about NANFA,
/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
/ consistent with the guidelines as per
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