The use of clove oil as an anaesthetic and method for sampling intertidal rockpool fishes

A suitable concentration of clove oil for anaesthetizing eight common Australian intertidal fishes was 40 mg l −1 . Induction and recovery times at this concentration varied markedly interspecifically, although were <3 and 5 min, respectively for all but Enneapterygius rufopileus . The number of species in clove oil samples was remarkably similar to bilge pumping samples in both small and large pools, although the number of individuals was significantly lower than bilge pumping in large pools. Number of species and individuals recorded by visual census differed from clove oil and bilge pumping methods in both large and small pools. Failure to detect all fish in pools by clove oil sampling and visual census was due to the secretive behaviour of many species and the tendency for such species as Bathygobius cocosensis not to emerge from under rocks during induction to anaesthesia. Complete draining of pools by bilge pumping, although time consuming, was a more accurate method of sampling rockpool fish assemblages than clove oil. However, clove oil is an effective stand‐alone sampling method because the number of fish and individuals are remarkably similar to samples obtained by bilge pumping. Clove oil is a favourable anaesthetic for temperate Australian intertidal fishes as mortality is extremely low, it is inexpensive and user‐safe, and induction and recovery times are short, although still sufficient to record biological information and identifications of fish whilst under anaesthesia.