This past Thursday, my Marine Bio Prof. who works in the fish lab brought us on a field trip there. Before we entered he explained that this particular lab is one of the largest in the world and holds over 5 million species. I was very excited! As we entered the lab, he told us that the lab across the lab was the Herp. lab (the rest of the trip I was begging him to take me in there, but we sadly ran out of time). We entered the lab, he showed us around, showed us how they preserve specimens using a 95% Ethyl Alcohol mix. After meeting the lab lead, we went into the fish room! He went through a few aisles to find something good. He pulled out a female Angler fish, which was passed around. She was surprisingly small, about the size of a fist.
One of the aisles.
He then pulled out some giant eel which I don't have a pic of, but it must have been at least 10 Ft. While he was lecturing I looked through an aisle and found a large jar with at least 3 full size Clown knife fish.
He then went on to explain the fact that many deep sea fish have retractable teeth to hold their prey.
He then went to the shark aisle and passed two sets of jaws around. Tiger and great white. The teeth were so sharp!
This is the great white.
He then pulled out a Cookie Cutter shark and passed it around, it was sooo cool.
After a few more specimens, we left the lab and went through the museum which I have visited many time before. Saw the Coelocanth and the Mega-mouth as well as the Oarfish they have on display.
Before we left the lab, someone asked what the giant metal trunk was (about the size of a twin bed). He went over to look. Turned out it was a Kamodo Dragon. The Herp. lab was full! Sadly it was locked.
He was also going to show us a Goblin Shark, but the bin was empty, "hopefully on loan" he said.
I look forward to hopefully getting the chance to one day just explore the lab and collection jar by jar. I only had the chance to look at maybe 4 or 5 jars this time.
One of the aisles.
He then pulled out some giant eel which I don't have a pic of, but it must have been at least 10 Ft. While he was lecturing I looked through an aisle and found a large jar with at least 3 full size Clown knife fish.
He then went on to explain the fact that many deep sea fish have retractable teeth to hold their prey.
He then went to the shark aisle and passed two sets of jaws around. Tiger and great white. The teeth were so sharp!
This is the great white.
He then pulled out a Cookie Cutter shark and passed it around, it was sooo cool.
After a few more specimens, we left the lab and went through the museum which I have visited many time before. Saw the Coelocanth and the Mega-mouth as well as the Oarfish they have on display.
Before we left the lab, someone asked what the giant metal trunk was (about the size of a twin bed). He went over to look. Turned out it was a Kamodo Dragon. The Herp. lab was full! Sadly it was locked.
He was also going to show us a Goblin Shark, but the bin was empty, "hopefully on loan" he said.
I look forward to hopefully getting the chance to one day just explore the lab and collection jar by jar. I only had the chance to look at maybe 4 or 5 jars this time.
