Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum

Couesius plumbeus dissimilis, Syngnathidae sp., Ascelichthys rhodorus 

Emily K. and I made the journey to the basement of the building which is currently housing our sad fish collection in order to reclaim some of the old jars which have cracked and the specimens within dried up.  Among the dehydrated jars I found the jar of Couesius plumbeus dissimilis, your common lake chub.  What was uncommon about it however was the date — 1900 — which was enough to make me want to smuggle it out of the dusty depths.  Surely these ancient individuals still retain some type of historical or cultural value at this point, if not a bit of scientific relevance.  The last two pictures are of newly rehydrated specimens.  We are not entirely sure if this process will ensure the longevity of these individuals but in my opinion it is certainly worth a little bit of effort to attempt preserving a huge amount of Montana’s history!