Over a decade ago, I dropped AP Biology during my senior
year of high school because I found out we had to dissect a pig fetus.
Additionally, due to the various parts of creatures dissected in Biology II, I’ve
been avoiding that course. Using a long handled shovel, I have scooped out and buried
deceased frogs and one Koi fish out of my parents’ pond, but otherwise I’m one
of those cowards that buys neatly packaged fish and chicken at the grocery
store.
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| First Cut |
Thanks to Dr. Woodall, as well as Claudia Dennis from NOAA,
I had a chance to get out of my comfort zone and handle my first dead fish. Former
OCE1001 Lab student, Cathy Black, lent a hand and taught me how to gut a fish.
We then weighed the guts, and proceeded to r
ummage through the contents in
search of plastic pieces.
The three Black Sea Bass, may they rest in peace, I believe were
caught 20 miles off shore from St. Augustine. Based on the stomach contents
they had feasted on silver-scaled fish, small crabs, and a particularly large
mollusk, which Cathy identified as a Moon Snail using the Reel Florida iPhone
app. Even though I was finger deep in fish guts in order to inspect the various
items contained within, I did not find any plastic pieces. I wouldn’t call this
a bust, however, because next time one of my parents’ Koi finds an untimely
death guess what I’ll be doing.
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| "Gary" |
I jinxed my parents' fish. :( I got there last night and one wasn't doing well, just bobbing an inch from the surface not able to dive down, rapidly moving his mouth, and he seemed blind. I even scooped him out, built him a habitat in a bin, and hand fed him...but my mom just informed me he didn't make it through the night. She's putting him on ice for me to check if he ingested any of the Styrofoam that floats on the pond's surface due to heavy storms damaging plant islands made of a Styrofoam base. Styrofoam is a type of plastic.
ReplyDeleteOh my!! Have I unleashed a Dr. Frankenstein??--Haha!! Actually--I'd be interested in learning what you found....if anything. You can bring it to the lab if you'd like to do the deed here. Let me know...
ReplyDeleteSo, imagine my shock after cutting little Dottie open and there is no stomach!!! Turns out Koi do not have stomachs and food gets digested directly in the intestinal tract on its way out.
DeleteP.S. Even though my mom put her in a bowl of ice for me she left her outside in the sun, thus I decided to do it right then and there instead of keeping her in my fridge until Friday.
DeleteNo stomach? Who knew?--probably everyone but me ;-)
DeleteAnd--good decision on the dissection timing--I'd hate to smell your fridge after Friday :-(