Scientific Fish Models

[divemaster99]

I wasn't sure where to put this so mods feel free to move this wherever you see fit.

Whenever I'm on PC I often see dead fish that have been preserved as pictures for species that don't have many pictures of living ones. Is there anyway an average person like me can accomplish this? I've had some deaths in the past day and as "creepy" as it may sound to some I think it'd be a good reference to have a sample of a certain species so I can study it physiologically. So is there any way to do this? Also the specific species I'd like to start with would be a 3.5" redside dace and a 2" rainbow darter if size or species mattered at all.

 

[Chub_by]

Try googling how to conserve in alcohol. Most of the old museum stuff is preserved in ethylen.

 

[Chicxulub]

• Kill with clove oil
• Fix with formaldehyde
• Soak in water
• Stick in 70% alcohol for long term storage

Slightly more detailed directions here:
http://research.amnh.org/vz/ichthyology/congo/other05.html

 

[Lepisosteus]

• Kill with clove oil
• Fix with formaldehyde
• Soak in water
• Stick in 70% alcohol for long term storage

Slightly more detailed directions here:
http://research.amnh.org/vz/ichthyology/congo/other05.html

+1 this is how my school does it

 

[divemaster99]

You have to kill the fish yourself? I was going to do it with fish that I found dead in my tanks.

 

[Oddball]

Fish you found dead would be poor holotypic specimens since decomposition has started and colors alter in many species after death. It's a practice usually reserved for the preservation of newly discovered or extremely rare species.