I did a little project on Noturus munitus last year that should get
submitted for publication soon, during which I found that blowing on the
lateral line is the best way to accurately count pores on preserved
specimens. I also began using jeweler's magnifiers to take counts- they're
easier to get quick measurements/counts than under a scope, but they leave a
blind spot in one's vision. Anyway, late one evening, I leaned in to blow on
a madtom and jammed a pectoral spine deep into my lower lip. I (luckily)
resisted the urge to try and yank it out. It was in about halfway up the
spine (6-8 recurved spines). Amazingly, it wasn't bleeding too bad. I
thought about going to the campus medical center, but decided against it.
Too humiliating. When I walked into the bathroom and tried to work the spine
out, it started to bleed. Profusely. It took about 20 minutes of working the
skin over each barb with a pair of forceps to get it free, and 45 minutes
with a wet teabag on my lip to stop the bleeding. No more madtom
projects... at least the preopercular spines on sculpins don't stick when
you jab yourself.
Bruce Stallsmith and I got to do some collecting last week- I'd been trying
to get fish for a new science/education center in Birmingham, and had been
running gill nets for big river stuff like buffalo and drum. An outboard
malfunction left us with only a canoe to check nets, so Bruce and I opted to
do some Coastal Plain canoe shocking afterwards. A very successful trip
ensued, with two large bowfin and a large spotted gar captured, plus a bunch
of various centrarchids. I somehow lost track of time and was late to
administer a biology final exam, but it was well worth it. Next time I'll
try and give some advance notice, and see whether we can finally arrange an
AL/MS regional trip.
Cheers,
Dave
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