Techniques for live capture of deepwater fishes with special emphasis on the design and application of a low‐cost hyperbaric chamber

Abstract

A cost effective, simple, portable hyperbaric chamber was constructed from polyvinyl chloride to aid in the collection of adult rockfishes Sebastes sp. to hold as broodstock. This system was designed to recompress fishes quickly once brought to the surface on hook and line, and to allow for decompression over a period of days. The hyperbaric chamber is capable of continuous stable operation at <1 033 515 N m À2 and can accommodate fishes up to 91Á4 cm in length and 26Á8 cm in diameter. Pressure in the chamber is maintained by a Goulds Booster pump that delivers continuous pressure and supplies sea water at a rate of 3Á8 to 7Á6 l min À1 to as many as four chambers. The hyperbaric chamber operated very effectively and allowed successful decompression of 12 cowcod Sebastes levis captured at depths of 90Á2 to 146Á3 m. # 2007 Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI)

Recovery of visual performance in rosy rockfish (Sebastes rosaceus) following exophthalmia resulting from barotrauma

“…Water pressure inside the chamber was increased to 5.2-5.7 atm (equivalent to depth of 32-38 m or 60-70 psi), thereby alleviating external signs of exophthalmia by recompressing gases inside the fish (see also Parker et al, 2006;Smiley and Drawbridge, 2007;Wilson and Burns, 1996). A staging tube attached to the side of the hyperbaric chamber was pressurized to match the inside chamber pressure, so that new fish could be added to the chamber without reducing the pressure on fish that were already inside.…”