[NHCOLL-L:5237] Re: Preserving a dead shark
Dirk Neumann
Dirk.Neumann at zsm.mwn.de
Tue Feb 1 04:01:17 EST 2011
Hi Carol,
completely agree ;o)
All the best
Dirk
Am 28.01.2011 01:26, schrieb Carol Spencer:
> Hi all,
> I prepare many specimens from frozen animals for herps often (from
> specimens that people have donated to us). We thaw them completely in
> a cold room, then take tissues samples, and THEN prepare in formalin.
> You cannot take tissue samples after the specimens has been fixed in
> formalin. I have never had a problem with specimens being rotten or
> disintegrating before they thaw completely. A bigger issue is the
> specimens not turning out as nice as a fresh specimens because of
> freezer burn, so for this reason it's best to get it out of the
> freezer and prepared as soon as possible.
>
> -Carol
>
> On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 2:36 PM, Richard Rosenblatt
> <rrosenblatt at ucsd.edu <mailto:rrosenblatt at ucsd.edu>> wrote:
>
> I second (or third) the recommendations of Dirk and John. It
> should be totally unnecessary to inject a small shark. If you thaw
> it in formalin the outer tissues will become fixed as it thaws and
> prevent further diffusion. One refinement would be to put the
> specimen in formalin for 30 minutes or so to let the skin harden
> before slitting-keeps the body wall from gaping. All the chemistry
> as recommended is simply not needed.
>
>
>
>
> DIrk and SImon
> My concern with thawing the shark prior to preservation is the
> amount of tissue damage that occurs during freezing and
> thawing which is why I reccomend thawing in fomaldehyde. Your
> comments on this will be appreciated.
> John
>
> ----------
> Sent from the Verizon network using Mobile Email
>
> ------Original Message------
>
> From: Dirk Neumann <Dirk.Neumann at zsm.mwn.de
> <mailto:Dirk.Neumann at zsm.mwn.de>>
>
> To: <Couteaufin at aol.com
> <mailto:Couteaufin at aol.com>>,<sej139 at yahoo.com
> <mailto:sej139 at yahoo.com>>
> Cc: <NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu <mailto:NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu>>
> Date: Thu, Jan 27, 8:43 AM +0100
> Subject: [NHCOLL-L:5211] Re: Preserving a dead shark
>
> Hi Steven, Simon,
>
> from experiences with preservation of our 200 something Etmopterid
> sharks I would adjust Simon's procedure as follows:
>
> Thaw the shark under cold water (don't use hot water)
> Pin the fins prior to formalin fixation and try to get the
> shark in a
> somehow natural shape (elsewise you will fix the specimen as
> bended as
> retrieved from the freezer).
> Take the tissue sample in advance (immediately after thawing),
> best take
> muscular tissue from inside of the body cavity by cutting the
> abdomen IN
> FRONT of the anus
> Cut the body cavity to allow influx of formaldehyde solution
> into the
> belly; this works much better then injections and especially
> allows
> escape of the oil emerging from the liver which elsewise you
> will have
> an awful smelly preservation issue for years (see Simon
> Moore's comments
> on this, you may have a pH-issue with breaking fatty acids).
> Consider to wash the specimen with a bit detergent after
> recovery from
> fixation to avoid too much oil in the alcohol.
> Sharks are rather easy to preserve and not as sensitive as
> most bony fishes.
>
> Hope this helps
>
> All the best
> Dirk
>
>
> Am 27.01.2011 00:22, schrieb Couteaufin at aol.com
> <mailto:Couteaufin at aol.com>:
>
> Hi Steven,
> You shark - what you proposed re the formalin sounds fine
> to me. Once
> fully thawed, inject it with 10% formalin (3.76%
> formaldehyde) until
> it just starts to swell ever-so slightly or the fluid
> runs out again. Make sure that you inject the brain area,
> the area round the liver and
> the pelvic cavity too.
> You can then preserve it (after a few days) in 5%
> formalin, alcohol
> (gradually up a ladder of 20% stages) or whatever
> preservative seems
> easiest. If you want DNA then don't leave it in formalin
> for more
> than 5 days and transfer to alcohol. You will get some
> lipid (as
> yellow-brown globules) leaching in time from the liver in
> particular,
> as formalin will only preserve lipid. Don't worry if the
> fluid is
> still clear but if it turns at all murky or dark brown,
> check the pH
> and change the fluid anyway for fresh.
> Have fun and check out the website below, if time permits.!
> With all good wishes, Simon
>
> Simon Moore MIScT, FLS, ACR,
> Conservator of Natural Sciences,
> 20 Newbury Street,
> Whitchurch RG28 7DN.
> www.natural-history-conservation.com
> <http://www.natural-history-conservation.com>
> <http://www.natural-history-conservation.com/>
>
> http://uk.linkedin.com/in/naturalsciencespecimenconserve
> In a message dated 26/01/2011 22:41:20 GMT Standard Time,
> sej139 at yahoo.com <mailto:sej139 at yahoo.com> writes:
>
> Hi everyone, sorry to bother the list with something
> that isn't
> really all that
> paleo related, but I was wondering if someone could
> help me out. I
> recently got
> a roughly 1 foot long baby shark. Since it is so
> young, I would
> like to preserve
>
>
>
> it. It is currently frozen in a block of ice until I
> can figure
> out what to do
> with it. Since I would like to preserve it, I was
> wondering what
> the best and/or
>
>
>
> easiest way to do that might be. I have been leaning
> toward
>
> > getting some
>
> formaldehyde or formalin, injecting some into it and
> preserving it
> in a jar with
>
>
>
> the rest. If that is best, how much should I inject
> into it.
>
> Thanks for any help I receive,
> ~Steven
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Steven E. Jasinski
> Paleontological and Research Assistant
> State Museum of Pennsylvania
>
>
> Graduate Studies
> Department of Biology
> East Tennessee State University
>
>
> Phone: (717)586-9835
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Dirk Neumann
>
> Tel: 089 / 8107-111
> Fax: 089 / 8107-300
> email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de <http://zsm.mwn.de>
>
> Postanschrift:
>
> Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns
> Zoologische Staatssammlung München
> Dirk Neumann, Sektion Ichthyologie / DNA-Labor
> Münchhausenstr. 21
> 81247 München
>
> Besuchen Sie unsere Sammlung:
> http://www.zsm.mwn.de/ich/
>
> ---------
>
> Dirk Neumann
>
> Tel: +49-89-8107-111
> Fax: +49-89-8107-300
> email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de <http://zsm.mwn.de>
>
> postal address:
>
> Bavarian Natural History Collections
> The Bavarian State Collection of Zoology
> Dirk Neumann, Section Ichthyology / DNA-Lab
> Muenchhausenstr. 21
> 81247 Munich (Germany)
>
> Visit our section at:
> http://www.zsm.mwn.de/ich/
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Carol L. Spencer, Ph.D.
> Staff Curator of Herpetology & Researcher
> Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
> 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building
> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA 94720-3160
> atrox10 at gmail.com <mailto:atrox10 at gmail.com>
> atrox at berkeley.edu <mailto:atrox at berkeley.edu>
> TEL: 510-643-5778 /FAX: 510-643-8238
>
> http://www.herpnet.org
> http://mvz.berkeley.edu/
> http://www.vertnet.org
--
Dirk Neumann
Tel: 089 / 8107-111
Fax: 089 / 8107-300
email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de
Postanschrift:
Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns
Zoologische Staatssammlung München
Dirk Neumann, Sektion Ichthyologie / DNA-Labor
Münchhausenstr. 21
81247 München
Besuchen Sie unsere Sammlung:
http://www.zsm.mwn.de/ich/
---------
Dirk Neumann
Tel: +49-89-8107-111
Fax: +49-89-8107-300
email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de
postal address:
Bavarian Natural History Collections
The Bavarian State Collection of Zoology
Dirk Neumann, Section Ichthyology / DNA-Lab
Muenchhausenstr. 21
81247 Munich (Germany)
Visit our section at:
http://www.zsm.mwn.de/ich/
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