If you put the container with the chitons in seawater into a freezer for a
couple of hours you will get the same results.
Constantine
----- Original Message -----
From: "J. Ross Mayhew" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 17 April 2006 5:54 AM
Subject: Curing chitons of curling - the lazy way!


> The topic of chiton "preparation" does indeed come up perenially (or is
> that bianually?) on this list.  For small chitons (under 35mm or so),
> this is a method which has served me well:
>
> 1) When convincing them to let go of their home-rocks, try HARD to not
> injure them: injured chitons tend to roll up into little balls and
> thereby lose all value to anyone or anything which doesn't intend to eat
> them.  A thin but not sharp object is good, but if you can "pop" them
> off underwater using only your fingers, they are less likely to be
> injured than most other methods.
>
> 2) Put them immediately into a small container of water taken from the
> place you are collecting.  After a while, most of them will be pressed
> flat against the bottom.  If you are in a warm place, a couple of
> CAREFUL water changes may be helpful during the process.
>
> 3) Pour almost all the water off once things settle down.  Then,
> IMMEDIATELY  pack a layer of tissue paper over the little guys and press
> down firmly.
>
> 4) Pour a mixture of 50/50 glycerin and ethanol or polypropanol (NOT
> methanol - it doesn't work very well and has toxic fumes anyway) over
> the tissue and put more and more paper into the container until it is
> packed firmly to the very top. Do not let up on the pressure, or the
> chitons will start to curl.  Use over 90% alcohol: anything less is not
> as effective in helping preserve them.
>
> 5) Pack the paper, saturated with glycerin/alcohol solution, in the
> container so that when the lid is closed tightly, it bulges the top of
> the container and maintains the pressure needed to keep the critters
> flat while they turn from beasties to flat, flexible, well-preserved
> specimens of same.
>
> 6) After a couple of weeks,  the critters should be a) flat b) flexible,
> and c) well preserved for posterity.
>
> Sometimes you may find chitons which occasionally have a beautiful
> blue-green pigment which fades quickly after the animal dies (The genus
> Tonicella is the one i have encountered in conjunction with this, but i
> believe there are others in Ischochitoniidae which also have similar
> pigments)  The only way i've found to preserve this beautiful color is
> to empty the water carefully, so flatness is maintained.  Then, quickly
> pour liquid nitrogen over it/them, and freeze-dry the colorful little
> guys as quickly as possible.   If you don't have access to a lab with
> these capabilities, then i suggest you experiment and report the results
> back to the list: i'd LOVE to find an easier way, since i no longer have
> this sort of access myself!!
>
> From April truly is the cruelest month New Scotland,
> Ross Mayhew.
>
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