How does a hobbiest do an Autopsy on a fish?

[CT_]

After watching the members talk from the "wet vet" I've been wondering if I have a fish die and want to do a necropsy, whats the procedure?  What are the things to look for?  I get that to do a good job I'd need practice and training, but if the fish is already dead and I'm curious why not try?  It would be cool to have some idea of what to do and what the obvious things to look for are. 

 

Is there a book or video or something?

(EDIT: yeah there's at least a couple youtube videos that are interesting!  but not for the squeamish )

Edited February 16, 2022 by CT_

[Fish Folk]

I think the corollary question is: what should you look for in an aquarium fish necropsy?

I could probably figure out how to cut a fish open. But I’d need to carefully study up on identifying internal organs.

With most fish, there is not a ton of blood. So I think that a squeeze bottle with clean water, a sharp scalpel, a white dissection tray / table, a bright overhead light, some fine tweezers, a small probe, a thin and sterile cloth napkin, and a wearable pair of magnifying lenses would make a start of it…

Edited February 17, 2022 by Fish Folk

[H.K.Luterman]

I have done it once. I pulled up a diagram of that particular fish's anatomy to compare to. Check if the liver is dark and healthy without spots, check if the swim bladder (if present) is fully inflated. I in particular was looking for a blockage or anything wrong in the digestion tract, so it may help if you have an inkling of what the fish died from (I just wanted to finally know what happened, since I had been battling illness with this fish its entire life). I used a small pair of cuticle scissors and cut through the skin/scales that way, using tweezers to keep the skin away from the internal organs as I cut: cut a "window" going across the lower belly, along the gill arch and then over the back. There should be very little blood. There are videos of fish necropsies on Youtube that can help. 

[CT_]

I ended up spending too much time yesterday watching fish dissections.  really interesting and after watching about 5 of them I have a much better idea of what to expect.  I suspect it would be fairly difficult to dissect a tetra though.