Yes, decalcify and there will be no otolith to look at. Staining and 
orientation become also rather academic.
I expect that somebody has tried plastic resin embedding and sectioning with a 
diamond knife, but I suspect that the growths rings may not be as visible. In 
any case an awful lot pf people have been grinding otolith for about 15 years 
that I know of, so it appears that something more obscure than wax histology is 
required to dislodge that grinding job.
Cheers
Jim Darley
ProSciTech                 Microscopy PLUS
PO Box 111, Thuringowa  QLD  4817  Australia
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On Monday, August 14, 2000 9:54 PM, CMCCOLLOUGH@dnr.state.md.us 
[SMTP:CMCCOLLOUGH@dnr.state.md.us] wrote:
> Greetings Histonetters:
>
> Has anyone done aging of fish on decalcified otoliths (earbones) embedded in
> paraffin?  I am concerned that I won't see the growth rings after
> decalcification.  If it can be done, how should the otolith be oriented for
> sectioning?  Is H&E a good stain?  I have a fisheries biologist who used to
> do histo thinking that this might be an easier method than grinding the
> otoliths.  He wants to do this on striped bass (Morone saxatilis).
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Regards -
> Carol
> *****************
> Carol B. McCollough, HT(ASCP)
> Diagnostics & Histology Laboratory Manager
> Maryland Department of Natural Resources
> Fisheries Service
> Cooperative Oxford Laboratory
> 904 S. Morris Street
> Oxford, MD 21654
>
>
>