Standards and Procedures

Fin Clipping, Guidelines for

  1. Research Animal Care and Safety
  2. Compliance & Safety
  3. Fin Clipping, Guidelines for

Details

Fin clipping is a common practice that serves many purposes for studies involving fish. Fin clipping can be used as a form of identification in a collection of conspecifics and allow for identification for later recapture. The fin tissue can also be collected for analyses of genetics, contaminants, stable isotopes, or the generation of other data that can be used to define a number of parameters about an individual.

Depending on the species being used, the experience of the researcher, and the situation, the clipping of a fin can be quick, straightforward, and often results in minimal bleeding or clinical outcomes. Studies have shown that the fins of zebrafish begin to regenerate within a few days (Jáwińska and Sallin 2016) and that fin clipping in juvenile muskellunge did not compromise foraging behavior or growth in laboratory pools (Wagner et al. 2009).

Current literature does not provide consistent evidence indicating that fin clipping results in more than momentary pain or distress. Therefore, current policies for anesthetic use for fin clipping vary greatly at fish research facilities.

Field Studies

There are several factors to consider when using anesthesia for fish in a field setting. Such considerations include the increased duration of time holding and handling fish when using anesthesia, how to manage anesthetic recovery and monitoring in a field setting, FDA withdrawal (holding) period following use of commonly used anesthetic MS‐222, and difficulty in acquiring anesthetic approved for wild fish to be released immediately.

Laboratory Studies

Guidance documents specific to zebrafish recommend the use of anesthetic agents, such as MS‐222 for fin clipping procedures (Matthews and Sanders 2015, The Zebrafish Book, ZIRC manual). Anesthesia allows for ease of handling the fish, which can result in a faster processing time. Minimizing fish movement could also prevent inadvertent injury to the fish and researcher due to improper technique.

Summary

IACUC does not require anesthetic use for fin clipping. The purpose of anesthesia is to facilitate handling, thus improving procedural outcomes and ultimately animal welfare. IACUC recommends the use of anesthetics when performing fin clipping in small (up to 8 cm length) laboratory fish, such as zebrafish. A detailed description of the fin clipping procedure must be included in the animal use protocol and receive IACUC approval prior to researchers performing the procedure.

References

  • Browman, H.I., Cooke, S.J., Cowx, I.G., Derbyshire, S.W., Kasumyan, A., Key, B., Rose, J.D., Schwab, A., Skiftesvik, A.B., Stevens, E.D. and Watson, C.A., 2019. Welfare of aquatic animals: where things are, where they are going, and what it means for research, aquaculture, recreational angling, and commercial fishing. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 76(1), pp.82‐92.
  • Deakin, A.G., Buckley, J., AlZu’bi, H.S., Cossins, A.R., Spencer, J.W., Al’Nuaimy, W., Young, I.S., Thomson, J.S. and Sneddon, L.U., 2019. Automated monitoring of behaviour in zebrafish after invasive procedures. Scientific reports, 9(1), pp.1‐13.
  • De Lombaert, M., Rick, E.L., Krugner‐Higby, L.A. and Wolman, M.A., 2017. Behavioral characteristics of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) after MS222 anesthesia for fin excision. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, 56(4), pp.377‐381.
  • Dunlop, R. and Laming, P., 2005. Mechanoreceptive and nociceptive responses in the central nervous system of goldfish (Carassius auratus) and trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The journal of pain, 6(9), pp.561‐568.
  • Jaźwińska, A. and Sallin, P., 2016. Regeneration versus scarring in vertebrate appendages and heart. The Journal of pathology, 238(2), pp.233‐246.
  • JoVE Science Education Database. Biology II: Mouse, Zebrafish, and Chick. Zebrafish Maintenance and Husbandry. JoVE, Cambridge, MA, (2020).
  • Key, B., 2016. Why fish do not feel pain. Animal Sentience, 1(3), p.1.
  • Key, B., 2015. Fish do not feel pain and its implications for understanding phenomenal consciousness. Biology & philosophy, 30(2), pp.149‐165.
  • Matthews, M. and Sanders, G.E. Zebrafish 101 for IACUCs. Downloaded similar slides from https://grants.nih.gov/sites/default/files/150312_Zebrafish_slides.pdf, downloaded Feb 20, 2020.
  • McGarvey, D. J., Woods, T. E., Kirk, A. J., 2019. Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems. J. Vis. Exp. (149), e59945, doi:10.3791/59945.
  • Newby, N.C. and Stevens, E.D., 2008. The effects of the acetic acid “pain” test on feeding, swimming, and respiratory responses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 114(1‐2), pp.260‐269.
  • NRC, Committee on Recognition and Alleviation of Pain in Laboratory Animals, 2009. Recognition and Alleviation of Pain in Laboratory Animals.
  • Reed, B. and Jennings, M., 2011. Guidance on the housing and care of zebrafish Danio rerio. Guidance on the housing and care of zebrafish Danio rerio. Downloaded from https://www.scilifelab.se/wp‐content/uploads/2013/10/Guidance‐zebrafish.pdf on Feb 20, 2020.
  • Reilly, S.C., Quinn, J.P., Cossins, A.R. and Sneddon, L.U., 2008. Behavioural analysis of a nociceptive event in fish: Comparisons between three species demonstrate specific responses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 114(1‐2), pp.248‐259.
  • Roques, J.A., Abbink, W., Geurds, F., van de Vis, H. and Flik, G., 2010. Tailfin clipping, a painful procedure: studies on Nile tilapia and common carp. Physiology & Behavior, 101(4), pp.533‐540.
  • Rose, J.D., 2002. The neurobehavioral nature of fishes and the question of awareness and pain. Reviews in Fisheries Science, 10(1), pp.1‐38.
  • Rose, J.D., Arlinghaus, R., Cooke, S.J., Diggles, B.K., Sawynok, W., Stevens, E.D. and Wynne, C.D.L., 2014. Can fish really feel pain?. Fish and Fisheries, 15(1), pp.97‐133.
  • Schroeder, P.G. and Sneddon, L.U., 2017. Exploring the efficacy of immersion analgesics in zebrafish using an integrative approach. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 187, pp.93‐102.
  • Sneddon, L.U., 2003. The evidence for pain in fish: the use of morphine as an analgesic. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 83(2), pp.153‐162.
  • Sneddon, L.U., Braithwaite, V.A. and Gentle, M.J., 2003. Do fishes have nociceptors? Evidence for the evolution of a vertebrate sensory system. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 270(1520), pp.1115‐1121.
  • Sneddon, L.U., Elwood, R.W., Adamo, S.A. and Leach, M.C., 2014. Defining and assessing animal pain. Animal Behaviour, 97, pp.201‐212.
  • Use of Fishes in Research Committee (joint committee of the American Fisheries Society, the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists, and the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists). 2014. Guidelines for the use of fishes in research. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.
  • Wagner, C.P., Einfalt, L.M., Scimone, A.B. and Wahl, D.H., 2009. Effects of fin‐clipping on the foraging behavior and growth of age‐0 muskellunge. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 29(6), pp.1644‐1652.
  • Westerfield, M., 2007. The Zebrafish Book; A guide for the laboratory use of zebrafish (Danio rerio), 5th ed. Eugene, University of Oregon Press.

Approved Date

Revised Date

Standard

IACUC

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
iacuc@illinois.edu
+1 217-333-7789
IACUC Information page