[NHCOLL-L:5218] Re: Preserving a dead shark

[Richard Rosenblatt]

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>
>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
>
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>Fax: 089 / 8107-300
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>
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>---------
>
>Dirk Neumann
>
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>Fax: +49-89-8107-300
>email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de
>
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>
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