how to preserve a jellyfish specimen???

[chong2]

im not sure if it belongs in the forum, but i know there are alot of smart people out there. so i am going to a beach where there are tons of small blue jellyfish floating on shore. i would like to bring one back as a specimen in a jar. the problem is i heard they dissolve. and are 95% water? so what would be the best preserval meathod? and yes im still going to the beach even tho they are all over, and yes i am bringing one home somehow. THANKS GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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[tymcmurray]

Not sure how smart we are, but try this.

http://www2.eve.ucdavis.edu/mndawson/tS/Res/Preservation.html

Good luck! Let us know. Send photos.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I was always told not to touch them. I think vinegar will help in an accidental contact with the wrong kind.

 

[Angelo]

You may want to get a small jellyfish and embed it in resin.

Tony

 

[Copperhead]

This has to be right up there as one of the strangest questions I've seen asked here....

I realize it's a serious question..and it seems some members here are actually able to answer it or provide some direction on how to go about it....That's what's great about this place...having so many people who have a such a wide variety of knowledge about almost anything....and knowing you can come here.....and feel free to ask for help...good luck in your preservation attempt...

 

[trikikiwi]

I have read that the good old Portuguese Man O' War 'jellyfish' is invading some European beaches at the moment.
Otherwise known as Blue Bottles - nasty sting.
I've surfed amongst them, never met them directly ,awesome part of our World .

As for preservation;
People and Museums used to use formaldehyde/formalin mixtures.
Not a nice chemical.

 

[Montana Jim]

Preserving jellyfish for morphological analyses

Scyphozoans are typically preserved for morphological analyses in a solution of 4% formalin in seawater (i.e. 4 parts formalin [37% w/v] and 96 parts seawater). Excess 4% formalin solution is used, and it can be renewed after two weeks to ensure successful fixation. If a specimen is also to be used in DNA analyses, then tissues for DNA analyses must be subsampled prior to fixation in formalin because formalin rapidly degrades DNA making it unsuitable for most molecular studies.

Some scyphozoans are very fragile and so utmost care must be taken in handling them both before and after fixation to prevent damage. In general, this means keeping them suspended in liquid at all times, never handling them out of the water. One modification to the method above which provides some protection to specimens after fixation is to preserve them in 4% formalin in seawater with 2% agarose. The agarose should be added to the seawater, microwaved until fully dissolved, and then allowed to cool until it can be handled comfortably with bare hands (but is not yet solid). The formalin is added (to 4%), the liquids mixed thoroughly, and then poured over the specimen. The preservative solidifies around the specimen, providing physical support. The method may not work with very fragile species, and may not be necessary with robust species.

Specimens preserved in formalin should be stored in sealed containers that are resistant to (or protected from) breakage, in a cool, shaded, well ventilated area. Ideally, they should be deposited at the nearest major natural history museum.

http://www2.eve.ucdavis.edu/mndawson/tS/Res/Preservation.html

WARNING! Formalin is highly toxic and should not be used without adequate protection, including overalls, gloves, and eye-glasses in a well ventilated space e.g. fume cupboard). Please consult the Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) prior to use.

 

[Lasivian]

Side note, nylon stockings will protect you from jellyfish stings. (strange but true)

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I have read that the good old Portugese Man O' War 'jellyfish' is invading some European beaches at the moment.
Otherwise known as Blue Bottles - nasty sting.
I've surfed amongst them, never met them directly ,awesome part of our World .

We have them on our beaches in South Florida. I have seen them about a month ago or so. I walk around them.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Those Portugese Man-o-wars are in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, too.

Don't know about nylons, but, I have a sister-in-law that still has scars on her right arm from an accidental "brush" with one in Puerto Rico.

And that was in 1967. I thought she was dying, at the time.

The pretty balloon-looking bubble on top is not poisonous - but those tentacles are long and very fast. And even the little tiny babies can, and do, inflict incredible damage (a tourist stepped on one smaller than a marble on the same beach - they closed the beach for four days).

Make sure you give yourself enough room to stay away from the tentacles.

B


If you do this - we need a couple of pictures!

 

[allen_idaho]

Here you go. Take your pick. One harbor full of floating death.

Actually I took these photos in Malaysia a few years ago. It was crazy. They were everywhere. Ranging from fist size to basketball size in the deeper water.

 

[chong2]

ow, thats alot of jelly fish. i also saw a man o war in FL off the sterling casino ship. well, aside from the formaldahyde, is there a simple temporary way untill i can at least get it to my freeze, for future preservation? has anyone else saved a jellyfish

 

[Angelo]

Check this out. Would more than likely work on a Jellyfish.

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=833193

Tony

 

[Lasivian]

ow, thats alot of jelly fish. i also saw a man o war in FL off the sterling casino ship. well, aside from the formaldahyde, is there a simple temporary way untill i can at least get it to my freeze, for future preservation? has anyone else saved a jellyfish

You don't want to freeze flesh if you can help it, it destroys the cells.

 

[nhbenz]

Here is how NOT to preserve a jellyfish (true story):
When I was about 10 I was with my dad at Nubble Light lighthouse in Maine (an hour from home). My father, being a biologist, struck up a conversation with some guys in wet suits, who he could see had collected some marine specimens and were examining them in great interest. One of them handed him a Dixie cup with a very small jellyfish which they said was some sort of uncommon variety. This was fascinating to him, but not to me so I went to the car to wait in boredom. Conversation continued when I saw my dad tilt back the cup he was holding and consume the contents. My eyes darted then to the dashboard, where I confirmed he'd left his coffee.
How'd it taste? Asked the guy who handed him the cup. I can't include his response, but his temporary attempt to hide his disgust at how bad his "coffee" was soon broken up with laughter by all... he survived it just fine, but that little jellyfish probably had an even worse day.

 

[Angelo]

Here's some encased in resin.

Tony

That's funny NH!

 

[Montana Jim]

Great story Ben!

Cool pics Tony!

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Really cool specimens and pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (they aren't portugese man of wars, though, are they?) What kind are they?

B

 

[chong2]

lol. .... ben was it a dare or WTH why did he do it, lol. i remember i picked up a rather large one once by the bubble, my hand smelt just like fish after that. i couldnt imagine shooting one..... or did i not get it? angelo, those are amazing. i did the resin molds for awhile, it was awesome, i still have some. ten years ago, 50.00 a gallon. that must have been a pain posinitioning them like that. <-----cant spell tonight

 

[chong2]

oro, man o wars are unique with thier bubble things, always look like this. and makes u wonder why..... man of war eh