How Many Grad Students Does it Take to Dissect a Fish?

photo: E. Loury

by Erin Loury, Ichthyology Lab

For a fish as big as a mahi-mahi, getting the inside scoop can be a team effort.  Students from an MLML Ichthyology class dissected this fine specimen to study everything from the digestive system to the muscles of the fins and head, and even got an up-close look at the eye ball.  We took care to only cut up one side of the fish, leaving the other half presentable for visitors to admire at our Open House.  The “good side” of our then two-faced fish became the basis for some giant-sized fish prints!