Permanent slides for morphological studies of small crustaceans: Serban’s method and its variation applied on Bathynellacea (Malacostraca)

Abstract

Morphological studies of small invertebrates often involve the preparation of slides to observe minute body parts under a compound microscope. Preparation should facilitate observation, through traditional optic microscopy, of small surface structures on different planes, like pores, spines and setae. Various methods and techniques, using different mounting media that specialists have adopted to observe and preserve small crustaceans, have their advantages and disadvantages.Within the order Bathynellacea, specimens in the family Bathynellidae are particularly challenging due to their small size (0.5 to 2.25 mm body length) and very delicate exoskeleton, which tends to be completely digested when using common clearing mounting media, making future consultations impossible. Permanent slides are fundamental to preserve small specimens for scientific collections, because temporary slide preparations can easily result in the loss of body parts in the passage between slide and vial and vice versa.Dr Eugene Serban worked on Bathynellacea for more than 40 years, improving the preparation and preservation of delicate specimens using stained glycerol-jelly and double cover slip mounting technique. His method is described here with a variation that speeds up the original procedure and implemented in most recent years by one of the authors (Camacho). The technique provides excellent preservation and visualisation of body parts on permanent slides, which do not need curation tasks and can last for many years.

The role of allopatric speciation and ancient origins of Bathynellidae (Crustacea) in the Pilbara (Western Australia): two new genera from the De Grey River catchment

“…The morphological study follows the methods described in Perina & Camacho (2016) and Perina et al (2018). The material is vouchered at the Western Australian Museum (see Appendix 2 for voucher numbers).…”

Molecular phylogeny of Parabathynellidae (Crustacea, Bathynellacea), and three new species from Thai caves

“…These specimens constitute the morphological type series of the three new species described herein. A complete dissection of all appendages in all specimens was done and the resultant parts preserved as permanent slides (special metal slides, glycerinegelatine stained with methylene blue and paraffin as mounting medium; see Perina and Camacho, 2016). Morphological examination was performed using an oil immersion lens (at 1000x magnification) with a Zeiss interference microscope equipped with a drawing tube.…”

Understanding subterranean variability: the first genus of Bathynellidae (Bathynellacea, Crustacea) from Western Australia described through a morphological and multigene approach

“…Partially or completely dissected specimens were mounted on permanent slides following the methods outlined in Perina and Camacho (2016). Morphology was examined using an oil immersion object (100X) on a standard Zeiss microscope with phase contrast, and an Olympus BX50 or BX43 interference microscope.…”