Fish scales

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Sat May 18, 2013 10:42 am

Not the best sample but I think it is pretty interesting nonetheless. Never knew about estimating a fish's age from its scales. See this link.

Am I then right in saying this Rock Fish is 19 years old?

20130514-DSLR_IMG_0235.jpg by pwnell, on Flickr
Rock fish scale, 4x, POL, HF B, Pano of 4 images

20130514-DSLR_IMG_0398.jpg by pwnell, on Flickr
Rock fish scale, 10x, DIC, HF B (5,3)

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Sat May 18, 2013 11:51 am

Really nice!

Here in the NW where salmon are a big deal it is commonplace for the USFWS as well as state agencies and private "farming" concerns to carefully collect scale samples and study the age of returning fish. (Search "salmon scales, fish age")

You are fortunate with your aquarium. I've seen other spectacular images of fish scales and have long wanted to explore this subject but have not found a good source of material. I've gone to the nearby local large pet stores asking for their inevitable (daily) deceased stock, and even offered to pay the "live" price. After explaining until they realized I wasn't a total nut-job they still needed to check with "corporate offices". They would not do it!

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Sat May 18, 2013 12:29 pm

Thanks Charles.

This fish is a Rock Fish - one we purchased from Safeway (supermarket) to eat. It happened to have one scale left on it that I guess was missed by their cleaning process.

I would like to take photos of the scales on my reef fishes but that will harm them, so I have also tried going to the local pet shop to ask for their dead fish. They had the same reaction - thinking I am nuts. But sometimes I find a dead specimen in their tanks and usually I can convince them to give it to me.

Marek Mis · Post by **Marek Mis** » Sun May 19, 2013 1:27 am

Very nice abstract images !

Marek

discomorphella · Post by **discomorphella** » Sun May 19, 2013 1:56 am

Very nice scale pictures.
I'll save you some scales from my next fishing trip. Coho, chinook or sockeye will all be ok I take it? Maybe a quillback or other rockfish depending on luck (this is fishing, not shopping... after all)

. I usually fix/embed/section some portion of the catch (just the viscera...), so sending a few scales should not be a problem. I would think that the choice of embedding material would also have an effect on the images you get too.

David

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Sun May 19, 2013 11:57 am

discomorphella wrote:Very nice scale pictures.
I'll save you some scales from my next fishing trip. Coho, chinook or sockeye will all be ok I take it? Maybe a quillback or other rockfish depending on luck (this is fishing, not shopping... after all) . I usually fix/embed/section some portion of the catch (just the viscera...), so sending a few scales should not be a problem. I would think that the choice of embedding material would also have an effect on the images you get too.

David

That would be really appreciated! Would it be possible to press the scales as they curl up when dry? Let me know how to compensate you when the time comes for your next fishing trip.

discomorphella · Post by **discomorphella** » Sun May 19, 2013 2:04 pm

Hi Waldo,
Don't worry about postage for a few fish scales!! If I am so lucky as to get a nice salmon each run, then seeing a great photomicrograph of their scales will be payment enough. If I can only find the time to make some histological slides from the fish to accompany the scale pictures.
I typically preserve things that can dry out (like scales, you are completely correct about the drying/curling) in glycerol. Then you can mount them in PVLG or glycerin gelatin without further treatment if you want a permanent mount or for a more temporary mount you can just put them into a small drop of glycerol and coverslip.

David

RogelioMoreno · Post by **RogelioMoreno** » Sun May 19, 2013 3:58 pm

Very nice!

Rogelio