Three morphological characters i.e. total length, head length, and body depth of the shad Nematalosa nasus, were measured to determine the short term effect of fixation and preservation. Shrinkage (up to 51.9%) was the rule. Body parts changed differentially. Head length and body depth indicated susceptibility to change (shrinkage), though total length was least effected. Changes were considered of great practical consequence for taxonomical and growth studies.