[Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Preserving wet specimens in the field?

[Dirk Neumann]

Dear Tonya and all,

there is a 2 volume book publication on field recording techniques and protocols that is available as free PDF as well; albeit you need to scroll down on the webpage to access the individual chapters directly; maybe this is a useful resource in general: http://www.taxonomy.be/gti_abctaxa/volumes/volume-8-manual-atbi/

Processing of formalin preserved fish is described in there, including the return and relevant details to be considered if you are transporting your material back in the checked luggage (IATA compliance).

In general - and depending on the size of the specimens and the temperature (e.g. tropics), you need to be careful to not leave the specimens for too long in the formalin. Especially delicate structures in small fish (e.g. bony pores and canals of the lateral line on the head) can corrode fast in the acidic formalin, leading, e.g. to an open canal system in lamp eye fishes - which are usually closed. Terrestrial vertebrates probably would be injected with formalin.

Usually (for specimens up to 15-20 cm - again, depending how bulky they are, and how many specimens are in your fixation box), up to three days should be enough. after this, specimens are removed and wrapped in formalin soaked cheese cloth and kept wrapped in tightly sealing PE drums until back home, where you would stage them.

For carrying formalin, we usually carry more concentrated formalin in the allowed concentration (IATA) into the field and dilute there with clear/clean river water (osmolarity). Depending on where you are, keeping the cooling chain might be an issue, and carrying dry ice or even LN is also not easy and restricted (dangerous goods).

Hope this helps ...
With all best wishes
Dirk


Am 26.03.2025 um 03:02 schrieb Haff, Tonya (NCMI, Black Mountain):
Hello all,

I am wondering if any of you collect vertebrate specimens in remote field locations which are destined for preservation in ethanol. If so, I would love to hear about your workflows in the field.  For example, do you fix your specimens in the field, and if so, do you carry around ethanol to step them out of formalin while you are away, or do you wait until you are back in your institution? And if so, what do you do with fresh specimens in the interim?

We are interested in collecting more specimens (terrestrial vertebrates) to be preserved in spirit. We keep running up against logistical issues related to trying to avoid freezing specimens and then prepping them when back in the lab. Typically we run trips that can take us into the field for weeks at a time. If we want to fix and preserve more than very tiny things while we are on a field trip, I think it means we must carry around with us quantities of formalin and ethanol that are both potentially hazardous and that take up a lot of space. Alternatively, freezing specimens until we are home seems to me by far the easiest and most efficient thing to do from a logistics point of view, but I know that it’s preferable to preserve specimens immediately after death, and not have an intermediate freezing period.

I would love to hear any thoughts, suggestions, experiences, recommendations or references anyone may have about this topic.

Thanks!

Tonya



------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr Tonya Haff
Senior Collection Manager
Australian National Wildlife Collection
National Research Collections Australia, CSIRO
Canberra, ACT 2602 Australia
+61(0)419569109




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--
Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany

Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst
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