[Nhcoll-l] Coelacanth deterioration

Thu Sep 14 02:47:38 EDT 2017

Hi Simon,

well, not that sure - we have two specimens (an embryo and a rotten 
juvenile): the embryo was in formalin, and during ct-imaging there we 
had issues with the resolution of the images because the bony structures 
suffered from the acidic conditions of the holding fluid.

The initially already rotten specimen we have (originally formalin 
fixed) and subsequently stored in 75% EtOH does perfectly well.

All the best
Dirk

Am 13.09.2017 um 23:30 schrieb Simon Moore:
> Thanks Dirk and John and Perry for showing this problem.
>
> I have seen more than a few coelacanth specimens on display in museums 
> and the only real survivors have been preserved in 5% formalin 
> _+_ phosphate buffer.  Perhaps there is a lesson here….?
>
> With all good wishes, Simon.
>
> Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR
> Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian,
> www.natural-history-conservation.com 
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.natural-2Dhistory-2Dconservation.com&d=DwIDaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=HvbSWwlZfKmLKPd_10LTvVP3vXOuIgukW_bd5OazWb4&s=E5TF92puyBbq-rS2nHGz97MNWA7xp9KLYgh9U0rpqCY&e= >
>
>
>
>
>> On 13 Sep 2017, at 20:09, Dirk Neumann <dirk.neumann at zsm.mwn.de 
>> <mailto:dirk.neumann at zsm.mwn.de>> wrote:
>>
>> Dear Perry,
>>
>> just to add few details for converting the specimen (partly) into an 
>> anatomical prep. My assumption was this Coelacanth should stay on 
>> display, but should no longer be presented in this condition.
>>
>> Before starting any preparations on the specimens, I would document 
>> it as good as possible (preferably cost-efficient 3-D imaging 
>> methods, e.g. with a traditional digital camera and photos to be 
>> taken from different angles).
>>
>> Test tissues, to explore how deep the deterioration of the tissues 
>> continues in the inside of the body. Keep all scales and other small 
>> bones or the eye ball in 75 EtOH (perhaps change the alcohol to get 
>> rid of residual acids). Rinse the bones to get rid of any acids or 
>> lipids. Soft detergents might be helpful.
>>
>> Remove the broken down tissues until you reach more stable areas and 
>> prep the specimen in a way that it stays useful for exhibition 
>> purpose in the current display tank (but using EtOH to slow down 
>> further deterioration (as far as possible). Gradually remove the 
>> isoprop (no separate staging of the specimen) is surely useful to 
>> avoid further damage to cell membranes. After this transfer, you 
>> should carefully monitor the fluid (discolouration) and exchange the 
>> fluid again to get rid of residual isopropyl leaching from the specimen.
>>
>> If everything fails and the tissues of the specimen continue to break 
>> down, you still can prepare the bones. Might be worth to secure any 
>> gut contents etc. (if still available, e.g. fish bones) and to do 
>> ct-scans of organs etc. if this is still possible.
>>
>> I wish you best of success with any treatment you would find suited.
>> Dirk
>>
>>
>> Am 13.09.2017 um 18:51 schrieb John E Simmons:
>>> Perry,
>>> I have examined the photos that you sent of the specimen, and to be 
>>> perfectly frank, the condition of the coelacanth specimen is very 
>>> bad. At this point, I am not sure you can save the specimen. I have 
>>> included in this email another expert on the preservation of fluid 
>>> preserved specimens--Dirk Neumann (Zoologische Staatssammlung, 
>>> Munich), who has also reviewed the pictures, as well as Rob Waller 
>>> and Simon Moore. I have attached the photographs that you sent me to 
>>> this email in case Rob and Simon have not seen all of them.
>>>
>>> To summarize your previous emails, this is what is known about the 
>>> specimen (please let me know if any of these points are incorrect):
>>>
>>> 1. The specimen was purchased in the fall of 1971, and was preserved 
>>> in formaldehyde at that time.
>>>
>>> 2. The specimen was transferred to alcohol when it was put on 
>>> display sometime after 1971.
>>>
>>>       [do you mean it was transferred to ethyl alcohol at this time?]
>>>
>>> 3. Some alcohol changes were done in the following years, but no 
>>> records exist of the changes.
>>>
>>> 4. The last complete alcohol change (the old alcohol was drained and 
>>> replaced with 50% isopropanol) was done in 2000. The isopropanol has 
>>> not been changed since 2000.
>>>
>>> 5. A pH reading was made on April 12, 2017. The litmus paper 
>>> indicated less than pH 5. It was pale yellow.
>>>
>>> 6. A density meter reading was made on April 12, 2017 and showed the 
>>> solution to be 0.9285 g/cm^2 (density meter adjusted to alcohol).  
>>> The display has 51% Isopropanol (standardized to 20 ^o C), and 43.4% 
>>> (non-standardize and not corrected to temperature).
>>>
>>>
>>> Some points to consider:
>>> -The density of 50% isopropyl alcohol at 20C should be about 0.925 g/mL.
>>> -Testing for pH of alcohol mixtures is tricky, but a pH indicator 
>>> strip can give you an approximate idea of how acidic or basic the 
>>> mixture is.
>>> -From the photographs, it appears that a lot of damage has already 
>>> occurred to the specimen that cannot be repaired and in fact, the 
>>> deterioration is ongoing and will only get worse. As Simon Moore 
>>> pointed out in his email response, the scales and other debris 
>>> accumulating in the tank indicate that that the tissues and tissue 
>>> matrix of the specimen are breaking down, probably due to 
>>> acidification of the isopropyl alcohol mixture. The orange color of 
>>> the specimen is also characteristic of acidification of a preserved 
>>> specimen (although the color could also be an artifact of the 
>>> lighting used for the photographs).
>>>
>>> I also sent the photographs toDirk Neumann to examine. He has 
>>> suggested that you could try transferring the specimen into 75% 
>>> ethyl alcohol (ETOH) by gradually adding ethanol to the storage 
>>> fluid in a series of steps (for example, using ratios of ethanol to 
>>> isopropyl storage fluid of 1/3, 2/3, 3/3) to slow down the 
>>> deterioration process, but it is unlikely that the deterioration can 
>>> be stopped it at this point, and that procedure will not restore the 
>>> specimen. Another option might be toconvert the specimen (at least 
>>> its badly damaged side) to be an anatomical preparation, showing the 
>>> skeleton.
>>>
>>>
>>> It is possible that Rob, Simon, or Dirk will have other suggestions 
>>> for what you can do, but the situation does not look good.
>>>
>>>
>>> I will be in Vancouver from 02-05 November for a meeting. Although 
>>> my schedule is very full due to the meeting, I might be able to come 
>>> to the Vancouver Aquarium on Sunday afternoon, 05 November, to look 
>>> at the specimen if that is possible (my flight home leaves that 
>>> evening), although I doubt that I could see anything that is not 
>>> visible in the photographs.
>>>
>>>
>>> --John
>>>
>>> John E. Simmons
>>> Museologica
>>> 128 E. Burnside Street
>>> Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010
>>> simmons.johne at gmail.com <mailto:simmons.johne at gmail.com>
>>> 303-681-5708
>>> www.museologica.com <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.museologica.com_&d=DwIDaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=HvbSWwlZfKmLKPd_10LTvVP3vXOuIgukW_bd5OazWb4&s=NBDZeU0_tp-fuHHJAV6wgkuoPKvlI-CA7Korikk3kwA&e= >
>>> and
>>> Adjunct Curator of Collections
>>> Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery
>>> Penn State University
>>> University Park, Pennsylvania
>>> and
>>> Instructor, Museum Studies
>>> School of Library and Information Science
>>> Kent State University
>>>
>>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Dirk Neumann
>>
>> Tel: 089 / 8107-111
>> Fax: 089 / 8107-300
>> email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__zsm.mwn.de&d=DwIDaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=HvbSWwlZfKmLKPd_10LTvVP3vXOuIgukW_bd5OazWb4&s=XeK7jA3q-Q4dmqbqwLwehVoAdz7TIedv7d5l6tQU47o&e= >
>>
>> Postanschrift:
>>
>> Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns
>> Zoologische Staatssammlung München
>> Dirk Neumann, Sektion Ichthyologie / DNA-Storage
>> Münchhausenstr. 21
>> 81247 München
>>
>> Besuchen Sie unsere Sammlung:
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.zsm.mwn.de_ich_&d=DwIDaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=HvbSWwlZfKmLKPd_10LTvVP3vXOuIgukW_bd5OazWb4&s=8ijI6NEUmZVMtVV0P-RZQpkEdASDEiZPxLeCoNkPg1M&e= 
>>
>> ---------
>>
>> Dirk Neumann
>>
>> Tel: +49-89-8107-111
>> Fax: +49-89-8107-300
>> email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__zsm.mwn.de&d=DwIDaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=HvbSWwlZfKmLKPd_10LTvVP3vXOuIgukW_bd5OazWb4&s=XeK7jA3q-Q4dmqbqwLwehVoAdz7TIedv7d5l6tQU47o&e= >
>>
>> postal address:
>>
>> Bavarian Natural History Collections
>> The Bavarian State Collection of Zoology
>> Dirk Neumann, Section Ichthyology / DNA-Storage
>> Muenchhausenstr. 21
>> 81247 Munich (Germany)
>>
>> Visit our section at:
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.zsm.mwn.de_ich_&d=DwIDaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=HvbSWwlZfKmLKPd_10LTvVP3vXOuIgukW_bd5OazWb4&s=8ijI6NEUmZVMtVV0P-RZQpkEdASDEiZPxLeCoNkPg1M&e= 
>>
>>
>>
>

-- 
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-Storage
Münchhausenstr. 21
81247 München

Besuchen Sie unsere Sammlung:
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.zsm.mwn.de_ich_&d=DwIDaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=HvbSWwlZfKmLKPd_10LTvVP3vXOuIgukW_bd5OazWb4&s=8ijI6NEUmZVMtVV0P-RZQpkEdASDEiZPxLeCoNkPg1M&e= 

---------

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-Storage
Muenchhausenstr. 21
81247 Munich (Germany)

Visit our section at:
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.zsm.mwn.de_ich_&d=DwIDaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=HvbSWwlZfKmLKPd_10LTvVP3vXOuIgukW_bd5OazWb4&s=8ijI6NEUmZVMtVV0P-RZQpkEdASDEiZPxLeCoNkPg1M&e= 

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