Hi annelid people
Thanks again to those who provided useful information and suggestions on
extracting polydorids (and other polychaetes) from coralline algae. I
have passed on all these suggestions to the student involved in the
project. I had 2 jars to play with myself, each containing lots of live
worms in holes in coralline alga-encrusted rocks in salt water. I left
these in a refrigerator @4 degrees C over the weekend, and when I
remembered to look at them today I found that all the worms seemed dead,
but not yet too smelly. I was able to gently pull many specimens from
their holes with forceps. The specimens are seemingly in good condition
and either entire or nearly so. If I had been more serious about this
and examined the samples only 1 day later I am sure I could have got
material in even better condition. The specimens are now fixing in
formalin and I will soon have to no excuse for not looking at them! I
don't know if this method has been selective; possibly some taxa have
remained invisible in their holes. But my impression from seeing lots of
polydorids, cirratulids and syllids, plus a few other families in smaller
numbers, is that nearly everything has come out.
Just thought that some of you may be interested in this result.
Bye
Robin
Robin Wilson
Museum of Victoria
71 Victoria Crescent
Abbotsford 3067
Australia
telephone (61) 3 9284 0216; fax (61) 3 9416 0475
rwilson at mov.vic.gov.au
Polychaetes of Australia URL http://www.mov.vic.gov.au/poly
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