crabs wanted

LeslieH · #1 01/25/2007, 03:14 PM

Hi everyone --

Want to get rid of your pesky crabs? Why not donate them to science instead of freezing or flushing them? There are some people here at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County that are doing a genetic research project on crabs. They need freshly preserved specimens in 95% alcohol so you can send them either live or in alcohol. Ethyl alcohol is best, rubbing alcohol from the drugstore is okay, so is white rum or vodka as long as it's 150 proof or higher (and you get to drink the rest, win-win!). Along with the crab we absolutely need to know where it came from: Bali rock, Fiji rock, Florida rock, etc. If we don't have locality we can't identify them; if we can't identify them we can't use them.

To preserve a crab just throw it into a container filled with alcohol. Leave it in overnight to make sure the body tissues are saturated with alcohol. Take it out & wrap it in a paper towel soaked with alcohol. Triple bag it in ziplocks or baggies so the towel doesn't dry out & there's no leakage during shipping (if you can heat seal the plastic that's even better). Place the bag into a crush-proof container. It can be shipped 1st class or overnight. Sorry, we can't pay postage - we might go bankrupt if we got a lot & had to pay for them all! - but it's tax deductible.

Send them to me here at the museum:
Leslie Harris
Collection Manager, Polychaetes
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90007

Many thanks, Leslie

rabidcrab · #2 01/28/2007, 06:12 PM

if only i read this before..
i had two huge white emerald crab looking things...
i got over them pinching my mushrooms and anemones so i fed them to my big fish tank..

eastcoastzigzag · #3 01/30/2007, 02:37 PM

want him?

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1031407

LeslieH · #4 01/30/2007, 04:40 PM

Yes that would be great as long as you know where the crab came from. The people doing the study need to know the geographic region (Bali rock, Florida, Fiji, etc) so they can identify it.
Many thanks, Leslie

eastcoastzigzag · #5 01/30/2007, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LeslieH
Yes that would be great as long as you know where the crab came from. The people doing the study need to know the geographic region (Bali rock, Florida, Fiji, etc) so they can identify it.
Many thanks, Leslie

----i got no clue. it was a hitcher on live rock. i think kupang and i think that is from phillipines area?

LeslieH · #6 01/30/2007, 08:50 PM

Philippines is good enough. We'd be happy to take it. PM me if you have any questions about preserving or shipping.
Thanks!

eastcoastzigzag · #7 01/30/2007, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LeslieH
Philippines is good enough. We'd be happy to take it. PM me if you have any questions about preserving or shipping.
Thanks!

$14 for priority shipping with a heat pack. let me know

graveyardworm · #8 01/31/2007, 02:01 PM

Quote from Leslies first post

Quote:

To preserve a crab just throw it into a container filled with alcohol. Leave it in overnight to make sure the body tissues are saturated with alcohol. Take it out & wrap it in a paper towel soaked with alcohol. Triple bag it in ziplocks or baggies so the towel doesn't dry out & there's no leakage during shipping (if you can heat seal the plastic that's even better). Place the bag into a crush-proof container. It can be shipped 1st class or overnight. Sorry, we can't pay postage - we might go bankrupt if we got a lot & had to pay for them all! - but it's tax deductible.

Doesnt sound like they're looking for live specimens, so a heat pack shouldnt be necessary. Priority would probably be nice, but I'll let Leslie weigh in on that.

LeslieH · #9 01/31/2007, 03:14 PM

Dead animals preserved & packed the way I described are much easier & less expensive to send. The crab guys don't have a budget for shipping and since I'm just helping on the side I don't either, sorry. You'd be listed & thanked in the acknowledgements of the resulting paper if they use your crab.

eastcoastzigzag · #10 01/31/2007, 10:09 PM

opps! ill read next time i promiseeeeee

ok im a huge believer in science so hes all urs. soon as i remember to buy some alcohol, im a college student, i have reef tanks but no alcohol. although im sure tequila would work

thanks r cool but is there any way i could get a copy of the finished paper? id be very interested to read it. email would be fine.

Ryanqk · #11 02/01/2007, 11:53 AM

use rubbing alcohol if you cant buy liqour, then you wont waste potable alcohol....

LeslieH · #12 02/01/2007, 12:20 PM

For a small crab all you need is an ounce or two of alcohol (= 1-2 shots). Rubbing alcohol, Everclear, any 150 or higher proof drinkable CLEAR alcohol (white rum, vodka, gin) will do.

Paper won't be out for several years. When you send the crab include your name, address, & email so the guys can send you a reprint or a pdf when it finally gets published.

Thanks, Leslie

eastcoastzigzag · #13 02/01/2007, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LeslieH
For a small crab all you need is an ounce or two of alcohol (= 1-2 shots). Rubbing alcohol, Everclear, any 150 or higher proof drinkable CLEAR alcohol (white rum, vodka, gin) will do.

Paper won't be out for several years. When you send the crab include your name, address, & email so the guys can send you a reprint or a pdf when it finally gets published.

Thanks, Leslie

-----yeah ill get some rubbing alcohol this weekend. no hurry on the report, it will be cool to read though.

purplehaze · #14 02/03/2007, 08:36 PM

Any specific species or genus you are looking for?

LeslieH · #15 02/06/2007, 03:59 PM

Nope. I think the researchers can easily get enough american or european ones but material from other regions would be useful.

Ooulophilia · #16 02/12/2007, 06:10 AM

I just came across this thread, it is shame in a few ways, I had a big shame-face crab for a while, and I recently ate him, as I had no room for him. I have another one that is about fist size, and still alive - he came from tonga. Interested?

eastcoastzigzag · #17 02/12/2007, 09:29 AM

yeahhhh my crab got a owner. my friend thought he was "cute" and adopted him. good luck with your research

sublime-1 · #18 05/16/2007, 10:17 AM

couldn't pass up the opportunity to laugh at "crabs wanted".

giggle

UntamedBreez · #19 06/26/2007, 10:55 AM

What kind of research are they doing??

rabidcrab · #20 06/26/2007, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ooulophilia
I just came across this thread, it is shame in a few ways, I had a big shame-face crab for a while, and I recently ate him, as I had no room for him. I have another one that is about fist size, and still alive - he came from tonga. Interested?

PET EATER!!!!

yellowslayer13 · #21 08/16/2007, 10:51 PM

I know a guy that got a small spiney from baja california while fishing and 5 years later they were one short for new years dinner and he pulled it out of his tank and right in to the steamer yumyum

starfish9 · #22 08/20/2007, 10:42 PM

i've got a gorilla crab, you can have him if I can catch him. It hasn't been going well...any suggestions? He won't come out of his little hiding spot.

Sweetp · #23 08/21/2007, 02:16 AM

the way we got ours out was by taking out the rock he was in and poking him out with a stick into a bucket LOL

SuperNerd · #24 09/03/2007, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rabidcrab
if only i read this before..

Man no kidding!
I put what I thought was a little lobo eating crab into the fuge about 4 days ago.

sps_addict · #25 11/19/2007, 02:24 PM

still looking for crabs? if so i can send a few