A non-lethal faeces collection method for Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) juveniles

Digestibility studies in Senegalese sole are very scarce due to the difficulty of collecting faeces, which are semi-liquid and therefore dissolve very fast in water. Thus, in this species it is not possible to use sedimentation columns or faeces netting methods for faeces collection. Classical stripping is also not adequate due to the coiled shape of the intestine. Hence, up to now digestibility studies in this species applied the intestine dissection method for faeces collection. To overcome the inconveniences related to this methodology, namely the need to sacrifice animals, in this study we present an adaptation of the stripping method, which combines simultaneous stripping and anal sphincter stimulation and that allows faeces collection of Senegalese sole without sacrificing the animals.