TRANSPORTATION OF

LABORATORY FISH MODELS

David Lains
The Zebrafish International Resource Center
University of Oregon
NIH-ORIP
ZEBRAFISH.ORG
Fish Models
Nozo,Creative Commons, Attribution 3.0 Unported
Zebrafish
Medaka
Stickleback
Goldfish
Guppy
Philip Shaddock
Mark Curry
David
Lains
Zoltan Varga
Fish Models
Why Fish?
External transparent embryos
Fast development and life cycle
Genetics/Transgenics
Biomedical
Evolution/Ecology (E&E)
High density
Lower cost
Zebrafish are on track to be the first model to have an available
mutant in every protein coding gene and with a complete phoneme
thanks to the Sanger ZMP
Distribution
Adults
Embryos
Cryopreserved Sperm
Adult Shipments
20 adults (0.3 to 0.5 g/fish) per 1.5 Liters
50 to 100 mL of water per fish
18 strains per box
Breeding after a week or two of acclimation
Access early developmental stages not possible with
embryo distributions
Faster results and hybrids
High survival rates even after extended delays
(21day)
Embryos
100 embryos per 200 mL tissue culture flask
Defined E2 embryo media with Methylene blue
Biosecure surface sanitized with chlorine
High shipping density, dozens of strains per box
Cost effective
More temperature sensitive than adults
Cryopreserved Sperm
Hundreds of lines per shipment
representing thousands of
alleles in dry LN2 shippers
Safe and effective transfer of
large collections to and between
repositories
The Sanger Institutes Zebrafish
Mutation Project ~24,000 alleles
(45% of completion)
Animal Labels
Adults
Embryos
Bags
3 mil (0.003 inch) Polyethylene
Inner bag: hand made square bottom
Outer bag straight bottom
Aluminum metal clip (Tipper Tie)
Rubberbands
Bags: What Not To Do
How not to seal a bag: Time Tape
Bags: What Not To Do
How not to seal a bag: Improper Inflation
Bag Alternatives
Cubitainer collapsible box
Tissue culture flasks
Soda bottles
Box Labels
IATA
Additional
Corrugated Shell
Styrofoam Liner
3 sizes of boxes cover most
shipments
The Box
Heat Packs
20 to 72+ hours allows for year round shipments
Harmless rapid rusting oxygen dependent
chemistry: Iron powder, charcoal, salt, sawdust,
and vermiculite
Red breathing stripe taped to ventilated lid
Tape perimeter to prevent cold infiltration
Isolate from animals with bubble wrap or
peanuts to prevent overheating
Filling Voids
Packing Peanuts
(DO NOT USE BIODEGRADABLE)
Bubble wrap
Gas filled fish bags
Water filled fish bags
Increased thermal mass moderates temperature in both hot and cold
situations.
Fish shipments rarely exceed the volume weight of the box.
Shipping costs are generally not effected.
Chemistry
Water
pH
Ammonia
ClorAm-X (treats ammonia, chlorine and chloramines)
Gas
50% oxygen / 50% water
Carbon dioxide lowers pH ionizing ammonia
Temperature
10 C degrees doubles/halves the metabolic rate of fish
Singapore is a more dangerous destination than Iceland in the
winter
Care en Route
No additional care required
Careful handling
Store Ambient, avoid extremes of
temperature
Express delivery
Export Oversight
US Fish and Wildlife
USFWS Form 3-177
Electronic Delcaration (EDECs)
USDA/APHIS
Form 7001 or Country specific documents.
See IREGS.
Customs and Border Control
Couriers, Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers
When Things Go Wrong
2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajkull
Henrik Thorburn, Creative Commons, Attribution 3.0 Unported Cogiati,Creative Commons, Attribution 3.0 Unported
When Things Go Wrong
2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajkull
Henrik Thorburn, Creative Commons, Attribution 3.0 Unported
Large shipment of adults destined for Ireland, stranded
in Frankfurt.
German animal welfare law covering tropical fish and
delays were invoked.
Animals were sold to a tropical fish wholesaler.
After multiple attempts to recover these lab animals,
German veterinary service said they were gone and
unrecoverable, until
When Things Go Wrong
Large shipment of adults stranded in Frankfurt,
destined for Ireland.
2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajkull
Henrik Thorburn, Creative Commons, Attribution 3.0 Unported
A general inquiry was sent through the vet authorities web
site asking how their media outlets would handle a story
about genetically modified animals being sold to children
for their home aquarium?
Within days the fish were in Ireland.
TRANSPORTATION OF
LABORATORY FISH MODELS
David Lains
The Zebrafish International Resource Center
University of Oregon
NIH-ORIP
ZEBRAFISH.ORG