Shrinkage of haddock larvae Melanogrammus aeglefinus Linnaeus (1758) preserved in ethanol.

Abstract

Changes in standard length of field-collected larvae and juveniles, due to preservation in 95% ethanol, were studied in haddock ranging from 2.5 to 82 mm log. Estimates of fresh standard length of haddock from ethanol-preserved specimens show that ethanol causes larvae of all lengths to shrink. The average shrinkage was 26.8% in newly hatched, 2.5-5 mm, larvae and decreased with increasing size. Shrinkage is related to size; larger larvae generally shrink proportionally less than smaller larvae.