Ichthyology and Herpetology

An ichthyological collection is a type of zoological collection that consists of a set of fish (both bony fish and sharks and rays) ordered, classified, and identified. In contrast, a herpetological collection contains amphibians (such as frogs and toads) and reptiles (such as geckos, lizards, and snakes).

This type of collection allows us to understand the diversity of fish, amphibian, and reptile species in our territory. These can be testimonies of scientific studies, or be useful for future conservation projects, making it possible to infer changes in the distribution area of different species, potentially related to processes such as climate change, pollution, the introduction of invasive species, etc. DNA can also be extracted from samples that have not been fixed with formalin for genetic studies. In the MUCBO | Science Museum, there are modest collections of fish, amphibians, and reptiles. The most important is the deep-sea fish collection, captured in areas near the port of Sóller, especially in the 80s and 90s, highlighting a large specimen of the rare species Trachipterus trachypterus. There are also some samples of amphibians and reptiles from the Balearic Islands. The specimens in these collections are preserved submerged in 5-10% formalin or 75% alcohol inside hermetically sealed glass jars. Recently, and due to the health hazards of formalin, all specimens are being transferred to alcohol. Genetic studies can only be done on specimens that have never been fixed with formalin. A small number of specimens are preserved dry, such as turtle shells and some naturalized marine turtles.