Can a fresh skull be secured in a wire cage and dropped in the ocean to allow the crabs to clean off the flesh, or will this cause damage to the bone in some way? I understand boiling is the usual method but I imagine this will smell quite bad (?) This is my first attempt!
While this is not the conventional method used by taxidermists, it is a tried and true method, used by a number of museums around the world (Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the US). Freshwater shrimp and freshwater crayfish have also been used in different places in the past. I am not sure of the finished quality, only that it is used and will work. Just be careful that the skull is not carried off by predators. I think in Finland they reccommend a depth of about 70-90 meters.
Amanda,
If you have an interest in learning more about this and other methods of skull cleaning, please e-mail me privately and I can direct you to several sources of info on the 'net.
Sue
Try "Bug Works" maggots that clean a skull to the bone.