Recirculation anaesthesia for laboratory fish.
An economic reliable long-term recirculation anaesthesia system for laboratory fish is described. Anaesthesia of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus Rafinesque) was induced within 60 s and was maintained for up to 40 min using tricaine methanesulphonate; recovery occurred within 30-60 s. Various surgical procedures were performed on the fish. No deaths were recorded. All water-quality parameters tested over 19 days use of the system remained stable except for total ammonia nitrogen and, by calculation, un-ionized ammonia which increased to a maximum of 0.23 mg/l.
D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D002397:Catfishes / Q000502:physiology*; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000662:veterinary