Anesthesia protocol in sepiolid squid
By: Rachel Parsons, Jacqueline Uribe, Megan Manahan, Amanda Friedman
Department: Physiology & Behavioral Biology
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Robyn Crook
Cephalopods are complex, captivating creatures that are growing in numbers in research laboratories world-wide. However, standards of care in laboratory settings have not been deeply explored. Previous studies have examined the effects of anesthetics and analgesics on some species of cephalopods, and there is emerging evidence that these animals experience pain. This makes consideration in the welfare of these research animals of utmost importance. Our project examined general anesthesia treatments for Hummingbird bobtail squid, Euprymna berryi, to assess which drugs and doses would meet the criteria for general anesthesia. We also tested different age classes in our most successful combination of ethanol and magnesium chloride. We identify an optimal anesthetic protocol for sepiolid squid of different ages comprising a mix of 2% EtOH and 1:3 MgCl2:seawater, which was the most successful for full general anesthesia across all ages tested. This research fills a gap in knowledge regarding the efficacy and safety of general anesthesia in sepiolid squid.