The list of potential fish anesthetics is long. When deciding upon a particular chemical one must take into account its
intended use, availability, cost, legal issues, and personal preference. To date only Finquel (tricaine methanesulfonate)
has been approved for use in food fish by the Food and Drug Administration. Even so, its label prohibits the immediate
release or consumption of fish within 21 days of treatment. Carbon dioxide and bicarbonate have also been used as anesthetics
in food fish and although they are not labeled for this use, they are food additives that are generally recognized
as safe (Summerfelt and Smith 1990).