Don't have results, but will gladly dive in front of the bus so my mistakes can be learned from.
When you take a gill sample the ratio of tissue to Formalin is 20-1. They don't need much, so the whole "has to be what they need in there cause I took it all" approach won't cut it. Seems my sample is screwed cause it was way too much for the amount of Formalin.
Not sure what the shelf life of Formalin is but if you're keeping rays, you should be keeping meds. Add this to the cabinet. Last minute attempts to score this stuff from local vets lands you a few things, silly looks, and a need to help them understand what you're doing. Simply explain, ask them to do it, and they seem to hand it right over, however they seem kind of stingy with it, so planning seems the wisest thing to do.
Gills apparently are the first thing to go so preservation definitely seems wise. Own up to the fact it might be best to hack the ray up right after netting it out. The longer you wait the more sorry you're going to be, it's unavoidable.
They want them on ice, not frozen. If you scored big like I did when they were handing out luck, you're used to dealing with adversity, but yet, you still never really seem prepared. Going to need lots of ice if a ray dies Thursday night and you can't ship till Monday cause the place you're sending to can't pick up on Saturdays. Re-ice as needed, don't let it get wet.
Figure out shipping before you get bent over in a last minute freak out. It can be a costly mistake.
Bottom line, contact the place you're sending to and have them walk you through it thoroughly. IF they're looking at it they likely have the best answers.
IF you're prepared not only physically but mentally as well this will be a lot easier. IF you own rays, you know sometimes they die, and nothing sucks more then years of wondering why. IF you want to score some good info from having a ray examined you have to be prepared in these kind of situations. We offer up enough chances to fall victim to not being prepared when we keep rays, it's stupid to think they won't die, and when they do you're going to want to know why.
Last bit of info - when a rays dies it sometimes smells sub-awesome, but usually it is capable of making food you previously ate magically reappear on the ground in front of you. I was able to avoid this by using one cheap dust mask soaked in strawberry qwik sandwiched between 2 other masks. Since I had masks on I couldn't hold my penlight like I usually do at work, so I had a spotter aid, and hold the light. He opted to laugh at my strawberry mask. He walked away a few minutes in gagging from the smell. This guy has a much stronger stomach than I do and said stomach was commanded by Mr. Danials at the time. I never smelled anything fishy.
