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Concentration effects of three common fish anesthetics on Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii)

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Abstract

The efficacy of three common fish anesthetics (clove oil, 2-phenoxyethanol, and tricaine methanesulfonate) was evaluated in the Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii). The overarching aim of our study was to identify the best anesthetic and concentration for the purposes of routine laboratory use of Pacific hagfish (i.e., short and consistent induction and recovery times and minimized stress and safety risk to hagfish). The objectives of our study were fourfold: (1) identify anesthetic stages of Pacific hagfish using clove oil anesthesia; (2) establish standardized anesthesia preparation procedures; (3) determine the optimal anesthetic and concentration for safely achieving stage V anesthesia; and (4) investigate the effects of repeatedly exposing Pacific hagfish to anesthesia. Experimental concentrations, ranging from 50 to 400 mg/L, of each anesthetic were tested on at least three Pacific hagfish individuals. We found the following: (1) Pacific hagfish exhibited similar stages of anesthesia to those described for bony fishes; (2) sufficient mixing of clove oil with seawater had a considerable effect on the consistency and timing of anesthetic induction; (3) concentration and anesthetic significantly impacted induction and recovery timing, whereas body mass had no impact on anesthetic trends; and (4) repeatedly exposing Pacific hagfish to optimal concentrations of clove oil or MS-222 had no effect on induction or recovery timing, whereas exposure number significantly impacted induction timing when using 2-PE. Due to consistent induction and recovery times, low risk of accidental overdose, and high safety margins for both handler and hagfish, we recommend 175 mg/L of clove oil as the ideal anesthetic and concentration for the routine laboratory use of Pacific hagfish.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the members of the Chapman University Comparative Biomaterials Lab and SURFEES Program for their constructive feedback on early drafts of this manuscript, data collection during pilot studies, and assistance in caring for the hagfish used in this study. We are also grateful to John Gregg and Jerid Rold for providing Pacific hagfish specimens to the Fudge Lab.

Funding

This work was supported by an NSF IOS grant to DF and Grand Challenges Initiative research support funds to CM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, 1 University Drive, Orange, CA, 92866, USA

    Charlene L. McCord, Emma Whiteley, Cathy Trejo, Rebecca Caputo, Estefania Itehua, Hina Hasan, Stephanie Hernandez, Kevin Jagnandan & Douglas Fudge

  2. California State University Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria St, Carson, CA, 90746, USA

    Charlene L. McCord

  3. San Diego City College, 1313 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA, 92101, USA

    Jessica Liang

  4. University of Wisconsin, Madison, 500 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Kevin Jagnandan

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  1. Charlene L. McCord
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  2. Emma Whiteley
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  10. Douglas Fudge
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Correspondence to Charlene L. McCord.

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McCord, C.L., Whiteley, E., Liang, J. et al. Concentration effects of three common fish anesthetics on Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii). Fish Physiol Biochem 46, 931–943 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-020-00761-4

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