DNA sampling by skin swabbing for Zebrafish (Danio rerio) and sticklebacks (Gastetosteus aculeatus)

摘要

Fin clipping of live fish under anaesthesia is widely used to collect tissues samples for DNA extraction. However, this technique raises a number of ethical concerns, since the use of anaesthetic and/or physical fin damage may cause behavioural changes, pain, suffering or lasting harm. Furthermore, fin clipping is a regulated procedure, is time intensive and requires significant training. An alternative approach is to obtain DNA samples by swabbing the skin of non-anaesthetised fish.12 However, thismethod has yet to be widely adopted for use in laboratory studies.