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Are Better Anesthetics Needed in Fisheries?
Author(s) -
Marking Leif L.,
Meyer Fred P.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1548-8446
pISSN - 0363-2415
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8446(1985)010<0002:abanif>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - anesthetic , fish <actinopterygii> , fishery , anesthetic agent , anesthesia , medicine , toxicology , biology
Federal, state, and private fishery workers were asked which anesthetics they used and for which fish species; how the materials were used; the disadvantages or problems associated with their use; and the desired characteristics of an ideal anesthetic. Responses were received from 66 state or provincial hatcheries, 40 federal hatcheries, 3 private hatcheries, and 74 others who did not identify themselves by category. Tricaine methanesulfonate (MS‐222) was by far the most commonly used anesthetic (145 users), followed by quinaldine (41), and carbon dioxide (18). Carbon dioxide and MS‐222 are the only registered fish anesthetics. The most cited limitation on the use of MS‐222 was the 21‐day withdrawal period required after treatment. The ideal anesthetic should permit a reasonable duration of exposure, produce anesthesia within 3 minutes or less, allow recovery within 5 minutes or less, cause no toxicity to fish at treatment levels, present no mammalian safety problems, and leave low tissue residues after a withdrawal time of 1 hour or less.