[NHCOLL-L:5217] Re: Preserving a dead shark

Thu Jan 27 17:07:46 EST 2011

John,

Provided that there is no noticeable dilution of the fixative, then this  
should be OK.

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/)  
_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 27/01/2011 21:21:38 GMT Standard Time,  
simmons.johne at gmail.com writes:

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

----------
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------Original Message------
From: Dirk Neumann  <Dirk.Neumann at zsm.mwn.de>
To:  <Couteaufin at aol.com>,<sej139 at yahoo.com>
Cc:  <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:
> 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://uk.linkedin.com/in/naturalsciencespecimenconserve
> In a message  dated 26/01/2011 22:41:20 GMT Standard Time, 
> 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

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---------

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
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