Mature females of Tylenchorhyrnchus mashhoodi were killed and fixed in 4% formalin, FA (4:1), FP (4:1) and TAF at 40°, 50°, 60° and 70°C. Subsequently, the fixed specimens were processed through glycerol-ethanol method, rapid lactophenol method and rapid method to glycerol. Twenty-five morphological features were observed for their clarity as influenced by different killing temperatures, fixatives and processing methods. Mounted specimens were again observed after 5 months for any change in morphological clarity. Killing and fixing in TAF at 50°C produced specimens with better clarity than others. The most life-like specimens were produced when fixed in TAF and processed through rapid lactophenol method. Some features like nerve ring. oesophageal gland nuclei, ova, uterus etc. looked better than those in live nematodes, particularly after 5 months of processing.
Tylenchorhynchus mashhoodi, fixing, mounting, morphological clarity
