I used to use chlorbutol to anaesthetize earthworms (I am not sure whether
it is still permitted) but remarkably I have found weak ethanol to be very
effective. It is a matter of trial and error, starting with 5% and increasing
until an effective strength is found for the particular species. Worms
recover well if then returned to freshwater for a time. However, any
anaesthetic might have profound effects on neuronal transmsission, of
course.
If worms are kept in the ethanol for too long, their osmoregulation breaks
down, I should add. 30 minutes is about the maximum, in my experience.
Possibly if only peridocially immersed this would not be a problem. I am
sure, though that physiologists will have much better answers to your
query.
Yours,
Barrie Jamieson
>Can anyone give me some tips on how to anesthetize lumbricid worms? I
>am trying to insert microelectrodes into a Lumbricus sp.
Professor B.G.M. Jamieson
Zoology Department
University of Queensland
Brisbane 4072
Queensland
Australia
Phone: +61 7 3365 2683
Fax: +61 7 3365 1655
email BJamieson at zoology.uq.edu.au
-- ANNELIDA LIST
Discuss = <annelida at net.bio.net> = talk to all members
Server = <biosci-server at net.bio.net> = un/subscribes
Archives = http://www.bio.net:80/hypermail/ANNELIDA/
Resources = http://biodiversity.uno.edu/~worms/annelid.html
--
