>
>Specimens were fixed in 10% formalin for a period of 2-4weeks, rinsed in
>water until no residual formaldehyde odor was detectable (overnight for most
>small fish) and transferred to 70% EtOH. Waste formalin is either reused or
>disposed of following OSHA-approved methods. We certainly don't "swim in
>formaldehyde" anymore, and use all appropriate measures to limit contact.
>
>When I say the fish were dried out, I mean excess EtOH was blotted off with
>an old towel. Kids handling the fish should wear gloves; mainly because the
>EtOH causes your skin to dry out... Even though they DO lose some of their
>color, when you plop a 1.5m long paddlefish down in front of kids, they WILL
>get excited. Guaranteed.
>Same with most of the other fish that you could use...
>
>
>You can also use Sudan Black to stain nerves, which produces a REALLY cool
>effect. Clearing and staining is also inexpensive, which makes it a great
>way to get fish into the classrooms. It's also neat to do a series of fish,
>salamanders, snakes (remove the scales 1st), and small mammals, and then
>have them find homologous structures across all of the groups.
>
>Dermestids are awesome critters- I've been teaching a vertebrate zoology lab
>this semester, and we've been cycling everything from paddlefish to
>armadillos to salamders through our colony. They don't disarticulate the
>skeleton like boiling or fire ants do. If the colony is kept well aerated,
>and the specimens are allowed to dry before you put them in, it produces
>relatively little odor. I'd be happy to mail folks enough for a starter kit
>if anyone is interested... (shireen? ;)
>
>Oh, and before anyone starts on how paddlefish are cartilaginous and bugs
>would eat everything, that's what I thought too. Wrong. The rostrum is
>partially ossified, formed of an intricate lattice-like matrix of bone. It's
>got to be one of the most awesome and beautiful structures I've ever seen in
>a vertebrate. Can't wait to get my hands on a fresh sturgeon (NOT sutkussi!)
>and see if the rostrum looks the same.
>
>Cheers,
>Dave
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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