Local Fauna

Fish Face

 

Although any individual fish might be hard to pick out of its school photo,  fish faces can be  remarkably distinct.

 

About the Authors: This blog post is a collaboration between Dr. Meg Daly, Director of the Fish Division & Marc Kibbey, Associate Curator of the Fish Division.  All photos by Marc Kibbey.

 

Old collections, new tricks

 

Research collections are built through two primary avenues. Many specimens belonging to a single genus or family may be collected from a broad geographic area as part of a research project into the diversity, distribution, or biology of that lineage. Alternatively, specimens belonging to multiple lineages may be collected from a single place as part of studies into the diversity of a geographic region or drainage.

Field team leader Brian Zimmerman in his natural habitat: a boat! His expertise with the diversity and distribution of fish is invaluable as we survey new habitats. Photo by Paul Larson

Field team leader Brian Zimmerman in his natural habitat: a boat! His expertise with the diversity and distribution of fish is invaluable as we survey new habitats. Photo by Paul Larson

Our collaboration with the Ohio Division of Wildlife (https://obcp.osu.edu/) to assess the diversity of fishes in Ohio has followed both of these paths, exploring the distribution and genetic diversity of species of particular conservation concern across Ohio and capturing the diversity of particular rivers or drainages.

One of the “tricks of the trade” for our surveys has been to use diverse techniques. To make sure we have sampled all of the microhabitats within a waterway, we use everything from electrofishing to seines to trawls to snorkels.

This week we demo’ed a new net system in the Muskingum River and were pleased with the biomass and diversity of fish and other animals that we caught, including some HUGE flathead catfish as well as bycatch of softshell and snapping turtles. This is a new sampling method to us but has long been used by commercial fisherman and fisheries professionals alike. These nets will be part of our arsenal of methods as we establish baselines for the species diversity of the Muskingum River.

Collections manager Marc Kibbey mans the nets. The snapping turtle (left) and spiny softshell turtle (top) are released back into the river. The Northern Pike (middle) and Bowfin (bottom) are measured and recorded. Photo on left by Paul Larson; photos on right by Brian Zimmerman.

Collections manager Marc Kibbey mans the nets. The snapping turtle (left) and spiny softshell turtle (top) are released back into the river. The Northern Pike (middle) and Bowfin (bottom) are measured and recorded. Photo on left by Paul Larson; photos on right by Brian Zimmerman.

Our electronic database and tissue voucher collection means that we can record occurrence, size and abundance, and sample animals with the safest, most effective methods.

Most of the fish we catch are identified, measured, photographed, and released. Specimens belonging to species whose distribution, diversity, or identity are questioned and species not well represented in museum collections are brought back to the museum for further study.

A global database called “Fishnet” (http://www.fishnet2.net/aboutFishNet.html) integrates our database with those of other museums, making these collections visible, searchable, and accessible to scientists around the world.

 

About the Author:  Dr. Marymegan Daly is an Associate Professor in the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology and Director of the OSU Fish Division.

Your yellow bowl is our YPT

 

Collecting insects is one of the many activities of staff and volunteers at the Triplehorn Insect Collection. Each time we go out in the field and collect we create a tiny snapshot of the insect fauna of that specific place and date.  It’s far from complete, but adds to our knowledge nonetheless. We do not need to go far to find insects that no one has ever studied before. Even in our own backyard, next door to the Museum of Biological Diversity, we find new or rare insect species and discover new facts about known species.

One of the methods we frequently use to collect small flying insects is the pan trap – a bowl with water and a drop of clear, unscented liquid soap.  The soap breaks the surface tension of the water and makes the insects sink.  The color yellow (bright yellow!) attracts many insects, including the parasitic wasps that several of us in the collection study.  Our yellow pan traps, (or YPTs for short) are simple plastic party bowls.  For best results we leave the YPTs out in the field for about 24 hours.  After that we remove the catch, and start the cycle again: fill the YPTs with water, add soap, leave for 24 hours, remove catch. We usually set up 25-50 YPTs in one spot and that’s one sample.

There are a couple of variations on how to empty the traps: scooping the specimens with a fine fish net, or pouring the content of the trap through the net. Either way the specimens get separated from the soapy water, and then are carefully washed with clean water to remove all the soap residue. Once washed, the specimens are preserved in 95% ethanol and placed in a freezer.  That slows the degradation of their DNA and allows for molecular level studies.  Later, we sort the specimens into groups (beetles, wasps, leafhoppers, etc.) and start the long process of specimen preparation for study.  The YPTs are washed and saved for the next collecting season.

Click or tap on the image to enlarge.

Collecting locality across the street from the Museum.
Collecting locality next door to the Museum.
Yellow pan traps are labeled with our name & phone number.
Set pans on the ground. Avoid direct sunlight, but don’t hide them.
Add a drop of soap to each pan trap.
Add water to each pan trap.
Add water to each pan trap, don’t overfill.
Alternatively, mix soap and water before adding to the traps. Photo by H. Clebsch.
Relax and let the YPTs work for 24 hours.
Single YPT after 24 hours in the field. Awesome catch!
Check the content of the trap, remove twigs, leaves, and other debris.
Pour (or gently scoop) the content of the trap in fine fish net. Discard soapy water.
Carefully wash the content of the yellow pan trap with clean water several times. Discard the water.
Insect specimens collected with yellow pan traps. That’s one sample.
Transfer the specimens to 95% alcohol for better preservation. Add collecting label to each sample.
Sort specimens in each sample to large groups (ex.: beetles, wasps, leafhoppers, etc.)
Sort small specimens. We need to use a microscope for that.
Wash, dry and save YPTs for next collecting season.

 

A heartfelt thanks to the people in these photos: Zach Hurley (collecting, adding soap, adding water, washing, sorting), Matt Elder (collecting), Norman Johnson (checking the catch, emptying YPT), Hans Clebsch (adding water to YPTs); and to the anonymous biker going by the Museum building.

 

About the Author: Dr. Luciana Musetti is the Curator of the Triplehorn Insect Collection at Ohio State University. All photos are courtesy of the author, except for the one of Hans Clebsch.