[NHCOLL-L:5219] Re: Preserving a dead shark

Thu Jan 27 19:26:34 EST 2011

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>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>
>>>
>> 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
>>
>> 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/
>>
>
>

-- 
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
atrox at berkeley.edu
TEL: 510-643-5778 /FAX: 510-643-8238

http://www.herpnet.org
http://mvz.berkeley.edu/
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