Owen Pyle inspects the jaws of
a very large Tiger Shark captured
south of the Hawaiian Islands. Tiger
Sharks have an unmistakable tooth
type and a highly varied diet and
have been implicated in attacks on
swimmers and surfers in the Hawai-
ian Islands and elsewhere.Photo
courtesy of Richard Pyle and Lisa Privitera
This isn’t an x-rayed ray but an embryonic Little Skate (Leucoraja erinacea) that has been “cleared and stained.” The
specimen is soaked in special dyes that stain different tissue types. Alcian blue binds to the cartilage in the skull,
gill supports, backbone, and fin supports. Alizarin red binds to the enamel-hardened thorns concentrated along the
tail and scattered around the body. The animal is then put in a series of chemicals that render muscle and skin clear.
Clearing and staining is useful for revealing internal structures in studies of anatomy and taxonomy.Preparation and photo
courtesy of Adam Summers