Hi Mark here,
just thought you might like to know how our squid feels after three months in the fixing solution.
To my touch the arms are now firm and don’t “give” in the way they did when we first defrosted her. The mantle however still has a covering of the jelly like substance that would of been under the maroon coloured skin. The tail or fin is now firm as well, so when Steve and I were turning her over here wasn’t the awful feeling that we had last time that the fin might disintegrate under our touch.
I still have this irrational feel that she might come to life at any moment!
A very friendly squid! - 3207 - © Copyright Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008
13 Comments
With part of the squid still covered in a sort of gelatinous covering and some of it better preserved from it’s period in formalin how do you anticipate repairing the tear in the creature.
Mark here,
thats a really good question, there is something of a debate here about how valid it is to repair her. There are two points of view.
Should we repair her and try to make her look as much like she was when she was found? Or are her scars and bumps part of her story, is it more authentic to leave them as they are?
What do you guys think?
We are of now to talk about the next step so see you in a bit
Mark
Any idea what the glop is?
How about repair her but have photo’s of the damage done as part of the display, may help explain in part why she couldn’t be released, a visitor is bound to ask!
J
The glop is the gelatinous film from under the skin…one of those technical terms teuthologists use
We will sew up some of the cuts, but it looks as though the tissue has fixed well enough that it will hold together
Hi again!
Loving the updates and thanks for the email letting me know about today. I’ve spread the word and have a bunch of friends planning on catching the webcasts today
Oh…and the caption underneath the pic – love it!
Hee hee – glad you liked that photo – it just kinda jumped out at me – and at Mark!
Never nice to be caught by the tentacles!
Hello from California again.
Lucy the tank looks great. Looks like it will be a while before you sling it over. Have I got time to take a swim??
Hmmmmmm Chris , I got that it was the gelatinous layer from under the skin, being a teuthologist myself I just wondered if it was polysaccharide glop or something else! I realise it won’t have been tested for glop constituents but was wondering if anyone had any feeling for its makeup (other than gloppish
)
J
Mark, I agree with Jean. I think it’s important to record and have as part of the exhibit photos of the initial condition of Messie, but I would repair her as much as possible for the exhibit. How good is Steve at suturing?
Steve is always stitching people up!
The plan is to move the squid around 2pm NZ time.
Sorry Jean -gloppish is as good as we can get at this time!
Hey folks the feed appears to be down, not sure if you know that already
OK gloppish it is! “At this time” you’re testing it then???????
J