[NHCOLL-L:5608] Fwd: FW: Rehydration of a sea anemone

[Couteaufin at aol.com]

From:  Couteaufin at aol.com
To: dlauretta at gmail.com
CC: simmons.johne at gmail.com,  abentley at ku.edu, nitellopsis at googlemail.com
Sent: 21/08/2011 12:00:02 GMT  Daylight Time
Subj: Re: [NHCOLL-L:5600] FW: Rehydration of a sea  anemone


 

Hi Daniel,
 
Andy forwarded your enquiry to me.  Say hello to Daphne Fautin, she  may 
remember me from the days when I worked in the coelenterate section at the  
NHM in London (early 1980s).
 
Alway rather ticklish when you have the holotype to perform such a  radical 
treatment!
Bear in mind also that rehydration will improve the appearance and  texture 
but it will compromise future DNA extraction/readings.  If you  need 
further advice on this let me know.
I have also forwarded this to John Simmons who may also have some  comments.
 
I tend to use Decon-90 at around 3 to 5% in deionised water as a  
rehydrating agent.
The reaction is catalysed by warming it to no more than 50 deg.  Centigrade 
(hotplate) and make sure that the container has a loose lid to  prevent 
massive evaporation during warming.
Obviously photograph and weigh the specimen prior to treatment.
Start the process first thing as it can take some time and so that you  can 
monitor its progress during the day.  
The fluid will start to yellow a bit and may smell rather fishy; the  
specimen will gradually sink into the fluid - this will only happen in an  ideal 
situation, so if the specimen has expanded and feels soft and more  flexible 
like it should if not dry, then it will have reached its  'end-point'.  If 
it's still floating then it will have air trapped  inside.
 
In which case.... place the specimen in clean water and place the  
container inside a vacuum desiccator.  Apply a mild vacuum to it and air  should 
bubble out of the specimen.  After no more than a minute, stop the  pump 
(making sure that the hose is removed from the desiccator and that the  tap is 
closed before the pump is switched off - or it will  suck the oil from the pump 
all over the specimen!!)
Then release the vacuum slowly and the anemone should sink completely or  
partly.  Repeat the process until no more air bubbles out.  Small  amounts of 
trapped air will often slowly diffuse out later in the alcohol  
preservative (see below).
You should now have a fully rehydrated specimen.  Place into  formalin to 
refix overnight and next day start to transfer into an alcohol  dehydration 
ladder so that by the end of the day, the specimen is preserved in  IMS once 
again.  Ensure that the jar seal is good!  Finally, make a  note of the 
treament for the specimen's record and reweigh the specimen,  having drained off 
excess fluid and re-photo.
 
That should hopefully be it!
 
With all  good wishes, Simon

Simon Moore MIScT, FLS, ACR,
Conservator of  Natural Sciences,

_www.natural-history-conservation.com_ 
(http://www.natural-history-conservation.com/)  
_www.pocket-fruit-knives.info_ (http://www.pocket-fruit-knives.info/)  

_http://uk.linkedin.com/in/naturalsciencespecimenconserve_ 
(http://uk.linkedin.com/in/naturalsciencespecimenconserve)   


In a message dated 18/08/2011 16:31:29 GMT Daylight Time, abentley at ku.edu  
writes:

 
Hi  all 
A  question from someone not on this list about relaxing sea anemones for  
dissection.  Please respond directly to him with any help you may  have. 
Thanks 
Andy 
A   :              A   :              A   :
}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<)))_°>
V                 V                 V
Andy Bentley
Ichthyology Collection  Manager
University of Kansas
Natural History Museum &  Biodiversity Institute
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk  Boulevard
Lawrence, KS, 66045-7561
USA

Tel:  (785) 864-3863
Fax: (785) 864-5335
Email: _abentley at ku.edu_ (mailto:abentley at ku.edu)          :
:                  :    
A   :              A   :              A   :
}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<)))_°>
V                 V                 V 
From: Daniel L  [mailto:dlauretta at gmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2011 7:50  AM
To: Bentley, Andrew Charles
Subject: Rehydration of a  sea anemone 
My Name is Daniel Lauretta  and I´m working with sea anemones (Cnidaria: 
Anthozoa)  in the  argentinean museum of natural sciences. I have a holotype 
of a sea anemone  from a swedish Museum. The specimen was preserved in 
formalin or etanol, but  it has accidentaly dried and was put again in alcohol. 
Now, I´m trying to  study the specimen, but the tissue is hard and I can´t do 
a disection. Do  you know a way to soften the tissue? Or perhaps you can 
tell me who could  known how to do this. Daphne Fautin gave me the direction of 
this  website.
Thank you very much.


Lauretta Daniel  M.
Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia
Lab.  57
Av. Angel Gallardo 470 - C1405DJR -       Buenos  Aires - Argentina  -





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