Description of the Collection
Juveniles and Adults
The main collection now totals approximately 303,000 juvenile and adult specimens in 40,584 lots, representing some 3,778 species in 1,419 genera and 310 families. About 25% of the lots are freshwater fishes, mainly from the states of Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The remaining 75% are marine fishes collected primarily from the eastern North Pacific, from the Aleutian Islands to Baja California, and from the western tropical Pacific, from Christmas Island to Guam and the Philippines. The collection also includes smaller numbers of lots from many other locations around the world. All specimens are stored in glass jars or stainless steel tanks containing 70% ethanol preservative.
Approximately 285 lots of cleared and stained specimens, representing 217 species in 81 families, are also available. These are stored in full strength glycerin and maintained separately from the main collection. These skeletal preparations are augmented by an extensive library of X-rays of North Pacific fishes. Begun in 1981, this library now includes some 765 X-rays, including representatives of 135 species in 66 families.
Early Life History Stages
Our early life history collection includes over 73,000 lots and is growing rapidly. Fifty-three families, 130 genera, and 181 species (including 35 identified only to "type") are represented. Most lots were taken in the eastern North Pacific, primarily from the Gulf of Alaska, the Bering Sea, and the U.S. Pacific Northwest Coast. Approximately 80% of the lots were collected between 1965 and 1990 by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center of the National Marine Fisheries Service, but significant material has also come to us from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, the International Pacific Halibut Commision, and the Vancouver Public Aquarium. Habitats ranging from the extreme nearshore over reefs to offshore, oceanic waters are represented.
The 19,000 lots of eggs are stored in glass vials of 3% buffered formalin. Lots taken together in a haul are frequently stored in the same vial, so the egg collection is arranged by year, cruise, station, haul, etc. The 48,000 lots of larvae (with a small number of juveniles mixed in) are stored in 70% ethanol. All lots are stored in separate vials and the collection is arranged phylogenetically. The entire ELH collection is housed in cardboard trays and wooden drawers within air-tight, light-proof cabinets.