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Retention of visible implant tags in small rockpool fish
Abstract
Retention and associated fish mortality of visible implant alphanumeric (VIA) and fluorescent elastomer tags was assessed in 2 Australian intertidal rockpool fishes, Girella elevata (Girellidae) and Bathygobius cocosensis (Gobiidae). Mean retention of VIA and elastomer tags after 90 d was 32 ± 20% and 77 ± 19%, respectively. After 90 d the fish mean mortality from VIA tags (20 ± 5%) was significantly higher than from elastomer tags (7 ± 2%) and untagged control groups (11 ± 2%). Elastomer tags appear most suitable for marking batches of fish of various size, while VIA tags appear suitable for identification of larger individuals of species such as many gobies that have adequate transparent tissue for tag recognition.
... As in the case of other methods, the use of natural marking requires validation for particular species and life stages. The development of implant tags has allowed the study of organisms considered too small to tag with conventional external tags (Griffiths 2002). ...
... Visible implant alphanumeric (VIA) and visible implant elastomer (VIE) tags Visible implant tags offer the advantages of being small, inexpensive and externally recognized allowing repeated observations of individuals without being sacrificed to retrieve tags (i.e. CWT, Griffiths 2002;Castillo et al. 2018). VIA standard alpha tags are currently the smallest (1.0 9 2.5 mm). ...
... They are polyester pieces imprinted with alphanumeric codes that are externally visible when implanted into transparent tissue (Fig. 1d), permitting identification of individuals (Lindberg et al. 2013). The use of VIA tags has been restricted to fish > 50 mm total length due to the potentially high trauma of injecting small fish with both relatively large VIA tags and the tag injector (Griffiths 2002). In contrast to VIA tags, visible implant elastomer (VIE) tags consist of a fluorescent liquid elastomer injected into transparent tissue that sets to form a permanent, biocompatible mark (Griffiths 2002). ...
Most of the research on marking of aquatic organisms has been done using large organisms since they tend to have better retention rates, their swimming behaviour is less affected by the size of the tag, they have less trauma due to injectable tags or from the injector itself and they are easier to handle and able to withstand the stress of tagging and recapture. The development of small tags has grown from a necessity to study smaller fish species, earlier life stages of fish and to study other small aquatic organisms. As an endangered species, delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) are being intensively studied in the upper San Francisco Estuary (CA, USA). A crucial part of many of these studies is tracking delta smelt, which requires a distinctive mark on each individual or group of fish. Unfortunately, many of the experimental fish suffer inadvertent mortality, as delta smelt are very sensitive to environmental and handling stress. The purpose of this review was to synthesize the different tagging and marking studies on small fish and aquatic organisms and to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each method for applications on sensitive species such as delta smelt. This review suggests the most effective methods for tracking delta smelt are visible implant alphanumeric (VIA) tagging and adipose fin clips for subadult to adult fish and calcein marks for young life stages. Among these methods, only VIA tagging currently provides individual organism identification.
... One by one, fish were measured to the nearest millimetre and tagged with a visible implant fluorescent elastomer tag, without the use of anaesthetic because of its added effect on mortality (see Munday and Wilson 1997). This implant is an effective tagging system for identifying small rock pool fish in the field (Griffiths 2002). The retention rate after tagging is high and mortality attributable to tagging is low (0-7%), even in small fish and crabs (Willis and Babcock 1998;Malone et al. 1999;Griffiths 2002Griffiths , 2003Claverie and Smith 2007;NMT 2008). ...
... This implant is an effective tagging system for identifying small rock pool fish in the field (Griffiths 2002). The retention rate after tagging is high and mortality attributable to tagging is low (0-7%), even in small fish and crabs (Willis and Babcock 1998;Malone et al. 1999;Griffiths 2002Griffiths , 2003Claverie and Smith 2007;NMT 2008). Although blennies are resistant to drying, we attempted to operate as quickly as possible. ...
... They were visited randomly, at low tide, each day during the first week and once every 2 weeks during the rest of the experiment (14 visits per rock pool). For a better fish census, observations were made after nightfall, using a UV light (Griffiths 2002). To facilitate the census and because fish try to stay in their refuges (under stones or in crevices), individuals were attracted to the recorder using pieces of bread. ...
The homing ability of the rock pool blenny Parablennius parvicornis was studied at a rocky shore on Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). A total of 140 fish was tagged in five different rock pools and 100 of these were displaced from their original site, during low tide. This blenny species shows great site fidelity and is able to return home from 400 m away. Results show that homing success mainly depends on the displacement distance and it increases when fish return against the current, whereas sex and fish size have no influence.
... California halibut, diamond turbot, and spotted turbot juveniles were tagged with visible implant elastomer (VIE) tags (Northwest Marine Technologies, Seattle, WA, USA) during the June and July sampling periods (Griffiths 2002, Malone et al. 1999. Immediately after capture in the trawl, flatfish were placed in large ice chests filled with seawater aerated with battery-powered air pumps. ...
... Se marcaron juveniles del lenguado de California, la platija diamante y la platija moteada con bandas elastoméricas visibles (Northwest Marine Technologies, Seattle, Washington, EUA) durante los muestreos de junio y julio (Griffiths 2002, Malone et al. 1999. Después de cada arrastre y de medir la LE, los juveniles se colocaron en hieleras llenas de agua de mar provistas con aireación. ...
... Sin embargo, la evaluación de la retención de marcas en condiciones de laboratorio sugiere que ni la mortalidad ni la pérdida de marcas fueron excesivamente altas. Las marcas elastoméricas han sido usadas con éxito en otros estudios con especies de peces marinos, como Girella elevate (Griffiths 2002), Gobiomorphus cotidanus (Goldsmith et al. 2003), Cryphopterus glaucofraenum (Malone et al. 1999) y Gadus morhua (Olsen et during the summer in Punta Banda Estuary during a year-long survey, which was coincident with the onset of higher temperatures during the summer months. In this study, average temperature in the central and innermost sections of the estuary increased between June and August (21.4ºC ...
Evaluating smallscale distribution and movement patterns of juvenile fishes within estuarine systems is necessary for identifying favorable nursery habitats and adequately interpreting local instantaneous growth and mortality estimates. Finescale, sizespecific catch per unit effort (CPUE, catch per 500 m tow) and movement of juvenile flatfish were studied in Punta Banda Estuary, Baja California, Mexico, during the summer of 2004. After dividing the estuary into five contiguous sections, habitat utilization and movement were analyzed using two complimentary approaches. We intensively surveyed the estuary throughout the summer to document the sizespecific distribution of flatfishes. California halibut and diamond turbot were captured throughout the estuary on all sampling dates, indicating that the entire system serves as habitat for juveniles. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the CPUE of California halibut was significantly and negatively related to temperature and depth, although the model exhibited low explanatory power. In contrast, the CPUE of diamond turbot was only significantly and negatively related to depth. CPUE was not related to salinity for either species. Analyses of site and timespecific lengthfrequency distributions indicated movement by all flatfishes on the time scale of weeks, which is likely due to the estuarine emigration of fish >140 mm standard length. In addition, an estuarywide markrecapture study was performed. Visible elastomer implants were used to tag 697 California halibut, 442 diamond turbot, and 128 spotted turbot. Based on sectionspecific CPUE and the area of the estuary, we tagged 36% of the local population of each species in a given month. Four Californian halibut and two diamond turbot were recaptured within hundreds of meters of where they were released. Hence, we observed residency and movement at the same time. This study indicates that shortterm movement and its underlying causes should be taken into account when assessing patterns of juvenile habitat utilization.
... California halibut, diamond turbot, and spotted turbot juveniles were tagged with visible implant elastomer (VIE) tags (Northwest Marine Technologies, Seattle, WA, USA) during the June and July sampling periods (Griffiths 2002, Malone et al. 1999. Immediately after capture in the trawl, flatfish were placed in large ice chests filled with seawater aerated with battery-powered air pumps. ...
... Se marcaron juveniles del lenguado de California, la platija diamante y la platija moteada con bandas elastoméricas visibles (Northwest Marine Technologies, Seattle, Washington, EUA) durante los muestreos de junio y julio (Griffiths 2002, Malone et al. 1999. Después de cada arrastre y de medir la LE, los juveniles se colocaron en hieleras llenas de agua de mar provistas con aireación. ...
... Sin embargo, la evaluación de la retención de marcas en condiciones de laboratorio sugiere que ni la mortalidad ni la pérdida de marcas fueron excesivamente altas. Las marcas elastoméricas han sido usadas con éxito en otros estudios con especies de peces marinos, como Girella elevate (Griffiths 2002), Gobiomorphus cotidanus (Goldsmith et al. 2003), Cryphopterus glaucofraenum (Malone et al. 1999) y Gadus morhua (Olsen et during the summer in Punta Banda Estuary during a year-long survey, which was coincident with the onset of higher temperatures during the summer months. In this study, average temperature in the central and innermost sections of the estuary increased between June and August (21.4ºC ...
Evaluating small-scale distribution and movement patterns of juvenile fishes within estuarine systems is necessary for identifying favorable nursery habitats and adequately interpreting local instantaneous growth and mortality estimates. Fine-scale, size-specific catch per unit effort (CPUE, catch per 500 m tow) and movement of juvenile flatfish were studied in Punta Banda Estuary, Baja California, Mexico, during the summer of 2004. After dividing the estuary into five contiguous sections, habitat utilization and movement were analyzed using two complimentary approaches. We intensively surveyed the estuary throughout the summer to document the size-specific distribution of flatfishes. California halibut and diamond turbot were captured throughout the estuary on all sampling dates, indicating that the entire system serves as habitat for juveniles. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the CPUE of California halibut was significantly and negatively related to temperature and depth, although the model exhibited low explanatory power. In contrast, the CPUE of diamond turbot was only significantly and negatively related to depth. CPUE was not related to salinity for either species. Analyses of site- and time-specific length-frequency distributions indicated movement by all flatfishes on the time scale of weeks, which is likely due to the estuarine emigration of fish >140 mm standard length. In addition, an estuary-wide mark-recapture study was performed. Visible elastomer implants were used to tag 697 California halibut, 442 diamond turbot, and 128 spotted turbot. Based on section-specific CPUE and the area of the estuary, we tagged 3-6% of the local population of each species in a given month. Four Californian halibut and two diamond turbot were recaptured within hundreds of meters of where they were released. Hence, we observed residency and movement at the same time. This study indicates that short-term movement and its underlying causes should be taken into account when assessing patterns of juvenile habitat utilization.
... One by one, fish were measured to the nearest millimetre and tagged with a visible implant fluorescent elastomer tag, without the use of anaesthetic because of its added effect on mortality (see Munday and Wilson 1997). This implant is an effective tagging system for identifying small rock pool fish in the field (Griffiths 2002). The retention rate after tagging is high and mortality attributable to tagging is low (0-7%), even in small fish and crabs (Willis and Babcock 1998;Malone et al. 1999;Griffiths 2002Griffiths , 2003Claverie and Smith 2007;NMT 2008). ...
... This implant is an effective tagging system for identifying small rock pool fish in the field (Griffiths 2002). The retention rate after tagging is high and mortality attributable to tagging is low (0-7%), even in small fish and crabs (Willis and Babcock 1998;Malone et al. 1999;Griffiths 2002Griffiths , 2003Claverie and Smith 2007;NMT 2008). Although blennies are resistant to drying, we attempted to operate as quickly as possible. ...
... They were visited randomly, at low tide, each day during the first week and once every 2 weeks during the rest of the experiment (14 visits per rock pool). For a better fish census, observations were made after nightfall, using a UV light (Griffiths 2002). To facilitate the census and because fish try to stay in their refuges (under stones or in crevices), individuals were attracted to the recorder using pieces of bread. ...
The homing ability of the rock pool blenny Parablennius parvicornis was studied at a rocky shore on Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain).A total of 140 fish were tagged in five different rock pools and 100 of them were displaced from their 10 original site, during low tide. This blenny species shows great site fidelity and is able to return home from 400 m away. Results show that homing success mainly depends on the displacement distance and it increases when fish return against the current, whereas sex and fish size have no influence.
... Identification of individuals was possible using both tag types, as each VIA tag has a unique 3-digit code, while numerous colour and tag-location combinations were used for VIFE tags. Tagging procedures followed those described by Griffiths (2002). ...
... To improve the estimates of homing success of fishes, the effects of tag-induced mortality and tag loss were taken into account. Griffiths (2002) found that, for two species of rockpool fish used in the present study, tag loss was 23-68% while mortality of tagged fish was 7-20%. Since similar tagging experiments were not undertaken on all species in the present study, it was decided to use average tag loss (~45%) and mortality (~15%) estimates from Griffiths (2002) and apply it to all species. ...
... Griffiths (2002) found that, for two species of rockpool fish used in the present study, tag loss was 23-68% while mortality of tagged fish was 7-20%. Since similar tagging experiments were not undertaken on all species in the present study, it was decided to use average tag loss (~45%) and mortality (~15%) estimates from Griffiths (2002) and apply it to all species. This means that the expected number of fish available to be recaptured at time t+1 is 40% of the number of fish tagged at time t. ...
The homing ability of 20 temperate Australian intertidal rockpool fishes was investigated between September 1999 and August 2001 by relocating tagged fish to other rockpools at distances of <5 m and 10–20 m. Eleven species showed homing ability, which may be due to topographical cues learned during high-tide feeding excursions within the intertidal zone. Displacement distance and time at liberty did not influence the proportion of fish homing, indicating that homing tendency is strong for most species examined. After ~120 days there is a dramatic decrease in the number of fish homing, but fish are capable of homing up to 214 days. The proportion of fish homing was independent of size, except for Lepidoblennius haplodactylus, which showed a reduced tendency to home with increasing size. The fate or whereabouts of fish that never returned to rockpools could not be determined. Possible explanations include relocation to rockpools near release points or increased susceptibility to predation due to tagging.
... L'annexe 6 détaille ces informations. (Griffiths, 2002 ;Bottom et al., 2005). Griffiths (2002) (Petty et Grossman, 2004 ;Roberts et al., 2008). ...
... (Griffiths, 2002 ;Bottom et al., 2005). Griffiths (2002) (Petty et Grossman, 2004 ;Roberts et al., 2008). ...
Le programme « Sicydium sentinelle » , financé par l'OFB et les offices de l'eau de la Guadeloupe et de la Martinique, a été mené de 2018 à 2022. Il visait à apporter des connaissances complémentaires nécessaires à la mise en œuvre de la DCE sur une espèce de poisson pouvant répondre aux critères-clé de la DCE. Il adonné lieu à un rapport final et une synthèse.
... A number of fish tags have been described in the literature (Griffiths, 2002;Gibbons, Andrews, 2004;Woods, Martin-Smith, 2004;Brennan et al., 2007;Zeeh, Wood, 2009), and they can be classified as internal or external (Navarro et al., 2006;Brewer, Norcross, 2012). Internal tags can have high retention rates for some species of fish (Ward et al., 2008), however, they require the use of special equipment to read the information contained in the tags (Smith et al., 2017). ...
... Internal tags can have high retention rates for some species of fish (Ward et al., 2008), however, they require the use of special equipment to read the information contained in the tags (Smith et al., 2017). External tags, on the other hand, have advantages as low cost, facility of application and excellent visibility (Griffiths, 2002). Depending on the species of fish evaluated, external tags may have a low retention rate, clogging and grabbing risks, swimming influences, reduced growth and insults at the site of application, factors that contribute to the low recapture rate (Jepsen et al., 2015). ...
This study tested an external tag for juveniles of Lophiosilurus alexandri and measured the effects of tagging in different size classes of fishes. Experiment 1 evaluated the retention rate and influence of the tag on survival and growth of three hundred fishes divided Small, Medium and Large size classes. After 90 days of experiment the fishes had 100% survival and the tag had a higher retention rate for animals of the Large size class. Experiment 2 evaluated the tag’s influence on hematology parameters of forty-two fishes at 5, 10 and 30 days post-tagging. In this experiment both tagged and untagged animals experienced 9.4% mortality. The hematocrit was higher on the 30th day for tagged animals than for untagged animals. No difference was observed for leukocytes, plasma protein, erythrocytes and mean corpuscular volume. It was concluded from Experiment 1 that the tag reduced growth performance when applied to small sized juvenile L. alexandri, and that the tag retention rate increased with increasing animal size. Among the hematological parameters studied for juveniles on the Experiment 2 the tag only influenced the hematocrit parameters, which shows that the tag can be used without considerable influence on the hematological parameters of juvenile L. alexandri.
... The fish were fed daily with pieces of shrimps, crabs and molluscs collected from the field. The acclimatization period of 7 days was considered appropriate for these gobiid fishes, though shorter than in other studies (Mayr & Berger 1992; Griffiths 2002; Schofield 2003). The experiments were conducted in rectangular opaque aquaria (37 · 25 · 14 cm, corresponding in size to small natural tidepools), each of which was subdivided into four equal quarters by thin retention walls (2 cm high, 0AE8 mm thick) and a square stone plate (10 · 10 · 1 cm) was placed in the centre to serve as a rooftop such that a fish could use the shaded space below as shelter (Fig. 1a). ...
... Fish individuals were marked by injecting visible implant fluorescent elastomer tags (Northwest Marine Technology, Shaw Island, Washington, USA) 1 week before the experiment. The tag was considered suitable for small fishes as it was known to have high retention (Griffiths 2002 ). Six different treatments [three mono-specific and three hetero-specific (two-species) combinations] were run as separate trials with a total of 48 individuals each (either 48 individuals of the same species or 24 individuals each of two species; two individuals per tidepool). ...
1. Fundamental and realized spatial niches were investigated through a combination of laboratory and mesocosm experiments, field observations and null model analysis in three intertidal gobiid species (Bathygobius fuscus, Chaenogobius annularis and C. gulosus). Null models based on the results of single-species experiments were used to assess interspecific spatial use and coexistence on two different scales: (i) microhabitats within a tidepool ('microhabitat' scale); and (ii) distribution among a set of tidepools ('habitat-wide' scale). 2. Patterns of microhabitat use varied from single to paired treatments, depending on paired species. Realized overlap of microhabitat use was smaller than would be expected from single-individual situations for intraspecific combinations, but not for interspecific ones. 3. Patterns of tidepool occupancy (a measure of spatial niche breadth) in the mesocosm were influenced by interspecific interactions. Two Chaenogobius species, but not B. fuscus, decreased tidepool occupancy in the hetero-specific treatments compared with the mono-specific ones. For all interspecific combinations, spatial overlap (habitat-wide scale) was significantly lower than the values expected from mono-specific situations. The results also indicated a possible trade-off between competitiveness and growth efficiency in these fishes. 4. Interspecific spatial overlap in the field was similar to that in the mesocosm experiment and the pattern of coexistence of gobiids can be explained by the results of our experiments. 5. This study demonstrates that niches of intertidal fishes may experience modifications under the influence of species interactions and that null models based on controlled experiments can greatly facilitate the deciphering of such changes in niche structure.
... Visible implant elastomer tagging is performed by injecting a liquid elastomer into transparent tissue to form a biocompatible mark (Griffiths 2002), and VIE tags offer several advantages over VIA tags for batch-marking Delta Smelt. Because VIE tagging does not require reloading the syringe to tag each fish, tagging time is reduced relative to VIA tagging (e.g., Castillo et al. 2018). ...
Objective
Delta Smelt Hypomesus transpacificus are thought to be close to extinction in the wild, which has spurred multiagency conservation efforts to supplement their population. In conjunction with these recent efforts, monitoring is needed to assess the effectiveness of supplementation. Such monitoring often uses large‐scale tagging of released fish to distinguish between hatchery‐origin and wild‐origin fish that are captured during later surveys.
Methods
In this study, we evaluated the use of visible implant elastomer tags in Delta Smelt to determine whether fish survival, fish growth, or tag retention were dependent on (1) tag color (blue, green, orange, red, yellow, and no‐tag control) or (2) tagged body location (posterior‐dorsal, anterior‐dorsal, mid‐lateral line, and no‐tag control).
Result
Over 165 days of the first experiment, there was no difference in growth rate (mean = 0.073 mm/d, range = 0.072–0.075 mm/d) or survival (mean = 68%, range = 63–77%) among tag colors. Across all color groups, mean tag retention was 96% (range = 87–100%). Over 120 days of the second experiment, tag location had no influence on fish growth rate (mean = 0.064 mm/d, range = 0.062–0.067 mm/d) or survival (mean = 50%, range = 43–58%). For the surviving fish in experiment 2, the tags that were placed at the mid‐lateral line were retained less (84% on day 120) than those at posterior‐dorsal and anterior‐dorsal locations (99% and 98%, respectively).
Conclusion
Our results suggest that visible implant elastomer tagging is a suitable method for marking adult Delta Smelt (>50 mm fork length) for up to 165 days and can be useful for conservation monitoring efforts.
... To utilize crayfish in our country's waters more efficiently and sustainably in their habitats, they need to have shelters to ensure their protection, and reproduction, and to prevent intra-species competition. Therefore, it is necessary to use shelters of appropriate size and quantity both to increase fishing yields in natural habitats and to increase productivity in aquaculture conditions [11]. Crayfish are benthic organisms, meaning they must live on the bottom of their habitat. ...
This study, conducted between 2016 and 2023, utilized photographs, videos taken during scuba diving, and expert opinions to provide a comprehensive overview of each period. Despite Pontastacus leptodactylus not being a native species of Keban Dam Lake, it has adapted to the environment over the years and has become economically important for fishing. This article aimed to identify various shelter types used by this crayfish species in Keban Dam Lake. It has been observed that crayfish in Keban Dam Lake utilize a wide range of shelters, including natural rocks, crevices, and even discarded objects such as submerged plastic bottles. The sizes of these shelters vary, ranging from 10 to 15 cm in diameter, and depths range from 20 to 40 cm. Therefore, it is recommended to conduct experimental studies in natural environments to explore the use of shelter types in natural habitats.
... One other possibility is that the tagging method used in this study was responsible for the low recaptures; however, the laboratory evaluation of the elastomer tags indicated that neither tag loss nor tag-induced mortality were substantial. VIE tags have also been used successfully in tagging studies involving black drummer (Girella elevate, [34]), common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidanus, [35]), bridled goby (Cryphopterus glaucofraenum, [36]) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua, [37]). Hence, it is unlikely that significant tag loss influenced these results. ...
... Information regarding effects of implantation of VIA tags in relation to environmental variation and fish/size stage is sparse. However, one study indicated that use of VIA tags in two species of rockpool fish (Girella elevata and Bathygobius cocosensis) may result in increased mortality (20 % vs 7 % in the control group) (Griffiths, 2002). ...
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) asked VKM for an opinion of risks of reduced welfare implications associated with different marking and tracing methods, and combinations thereof, for farmed salmonid fish in Norway.
A variety of mehods
A variety of different methods are available for marking and tracing of farmed fish. Marking is commonly done by attaching a tag, either externally on the surface of the skin, in tissue, or internally in the body. Visible marking methods, such as adipose fin removal, freeze branding, or injection of pigments may be used for rapidly identifying fish. Other marking methods such as “snout tags” and PIT tags (Passive Integrated Transponder) require a detector for distinguishing farmed from wild fish. Naturally occurring markers, such as scales, may also be used to trace and determine the origin of fish found in nature.
The methods differ with regard to the suitability of actually distinguishing wild from farmed (escaped) fish in the field. External marks may be lost or fade over time. Adipose fin removal is the only definitely visible and 100 percent permanent marking method, as the adipose fin will not regenerate.
Conclusions
All marking procedures involve handling of fish. This is stressful to the fish, and/or may induce pain. All external marking will therefore have an impact on fish welfare. With most marking methods, the risk of reduced fish welfare decreases with time.
Tracing methods differ with regard to their suitability for being used to trace the marked fish back to its origin, either on an individual level (a mark that identifies each fish) or the farm level (a mark that identifies each farm).
In order to visually identify escaped fish and enable tracing back to the farm of origin, a combination of both marking and a tracing method, with sufficient number of available codes, is necessary.
VKM concluded that there are no combinations of marking and tracing methods that are feasible without an increased risk of reduced animal welfare.
Data gaps
VKM also recognizes a number of uncertainties and data gaps related to how and to what extent the different marking methods may affect fish welfare.
VKMs panel on Animal Health and Welfare is responsible for the risk assessment.
... One other possibility is that the tagging method used in this study was responsible for the low recaptures; however, the laboratory evaluation of the elastomer tags indicated that neither tag loss nor tag-induced mortality were substantial. VIE tags have also been used successfully in tagging studies involving black drummer (Girella elevate, [34]), common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidanus, [35]), bridled goby (Cryphopterus glaucofraenum, [36]) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua, [37]). Hence, it is unlikely that significant tag loss influenced these results. ...
... Other studies report tag-retention rates of 65% in male elephant seals (Pistorius et al., 2000) and 88% in Adelie penguins (Ainley & DeMaster, 1980). Mean retention of visible implant tags has been recorded as 32% in small rockpool fish (Griffiths, 2002). Turtles in particular experience high tag loss rates. ...
In capture–recapture studies, recycled individuals occur when individuals lose all of their tags and are recaptured as though they were new individuals. Typically, the effect of these recycled individuals is assumed negligible.
Through a simulation‐based study of double‐tagging experiments, we examined the effect of recycled individuals on parameter estimates in the Jolly–Seber model with tag loss (Cowen & Schwarz, 2006). We validated the simulation framework using long‐term census data of elephant seals.
Including recycled individuals did not affect estimates of capture, survival, and tag‐retention probabilities. However, with low tag‐retention rates, high capture rates, and high survival rates, recycled individuals produced overestimates of population size. For the elephant seal case study, we found population size estimates to be between 8% and 53% larger when recycled individuals were ignored.
Ignoring the effects of recycled individuals can cause large biases in population size estimates. These results are particularly noticeable in longer studies.
... Instead, fluorescent elastomer tags are widely used (Griffiths, 2003;White and Brown, 2013;Thyssen et al., 2014). Studies have confirmed the low risk of injury to fish, easy visualization and long-term performance of these tags (Willis and Babcock, 1998;Malone et al., 1999;Griffiths, 2002), although a single tagging operation is time-consuming, taking about two minutes per fish (White and Brown, 2013). Fluorescent elastomer tags were successfully used in threespine stickleback research some years ago (Bolnick et al., 2009). ...
Hypothesis: Marine threespine stickleback manifest homing ability and site fidelity during their spawning period.
Organism: The threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus.
Time and places: June 2015 and June 2016 (during the stickleback spawning period), Koliushkovaya Lagoon, Kandalaksha Bay, the White Sea.
Methods: Stickleback were tagged on their inshore spawning grounds about 2 weeks after their inshore migration. We attached plastic tags to their dorsal spines, displaced them 100–300 m away from shore, and recaptured them inshore after periods of one hour to four days.
Results: Stickleback caught on their spawning grounds in the lagoon, tagged and displaced a few hundred metres, were able to return to their home site within a day. Males and females exhibited no differences in homing ability. Most fish left their home site within four days of returning, however, indicating that site fidelity is weak. Stickleback caught outside the lagoon in the sea, and tagged and released in the lagoon, spread along the shore in accordance with the density of local fish.
... clarki) and Patagonian catfish (Hatcheria macraei) (Mourning et al. 1994;Halls & Azim 1998;Malone et al. 1999;Rikardsen et al. 2002;Woods 2005;Wagner et al. 2013;Davis et al. 2014;Turek et al. 2014;Barriga et al. 2015). However, one study indicated that use of VIA tags in two species of rockpool fish (Girella elevata and Bathygobius cocosensis) may result in increased mortality (Griffiths 2002). We did not find any information on increased infection risk and diseases due to application of VIA tags. ...
Escaped farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is considered a threat to wild salmon. In order to take action to reduce the impact of escapees, methods to distinguish escapees from wild fish and to trace them back to their origin are in demand. This paper gives an overview of available methods and discusses the impact on fish welfare, both in the short-and long-term. Adipose fin clipping, freeze branding, different external and internal tags, as well as natural and chemical marks are considered. All marking procedures that involve handling of fish have an impact on fish welfare. Spraying with pigments and most externally attached tags significantly reduce the welfare, both on short-term and long-term perspectives. Although the use of natural or chemical marks, like exposure to stable isotopes via egg immersion or vaccination, involves no or no extra handling , subsequent analysis may require killing the fish after catch. Large-scale marking with implanted or external tags could represent higher risks of human errors and reduced fish welfare, as opposed to small-scale marking. In general, the knowledge about effects of marking on fish welfare is limited for most of the available methods, in particular regarding other effects than mortality and growth reductions.
... Based on previous work combined with the results of this study, it is recommended that researchers consider the taxa when attempting to estimate the smallest suitable tagging candidate. The VIE tagging system is considered to be innocuous with respect to mortality for small-bodied or juvenile fishes (e.g., 93%, Griffiths, 2002;96%, Astorga et al., 2005;100%, Bolland et al., 2009;100%, Bruyndoncx et al., 2002;99%, Dewey and Zigler, 1996); presumably because the elastomeric tags impart negligible weight. Consequently, few studies have attempted to investigate the relationship of body size and survival for VIE-tagged fish. ...
One of the greatest limiting factors of studies designed to obtain growth, movement, and survival in small-bodied fishes is the selection of a viable tag. The tag must be relatively small with respect to body size as to impart minimal sub-lethal effects on growth and mobility, as well as be retained throughout the life of the fish or duration of the study. Thus, body size of the model species becomes a major limiting factor; yet few studies have obtained empirical evidence of the minimum fish size and related tagging effects. The probability of surviving a tagging event was quantified in White Sands pupfish (Cyprinodon tularosa) across a range of sizes (19-60. mm) to address the hypothesis that body size predicts tagging survival. We compared tagging related mortality, individual taggers, growth, and tag retention in White Sands pupfish implanted with 8-mm passive integrated transponder (PIT), visual implant elastomer (VIE), and control (handled similarly, but no tag implantation) over a 75 d period. Initial body weight was a good predictor of the probability of survival in PIT- and VIE-tagged fish. As weight increased by 1. g, the fish were 4.73 times more likely to survive PIT-tag implantation compared to the control fish with an estimated suitable tagging size at 1.1. g (TL: 39.29. ±. 0.41. mm). Likewise, VIE-tagged animals were 2.27 times more likely to survive a tagging event compared to the control group for every additional 1. g with an estimated size suitable for tagging of 0.9. g (TL: 36.9. ±. 0.36. mm) fish. Growth rates of PIT- and VIE-tagged White Sands pupfish were similar to the control groups. This research validated two popular tagging methodologies in the White Sands pupfish, thus providing a valuable tool for characterizing vital rates in other small-bodied fishes.
... One other possibility is that the tagging method used in this study was responsible for the low recaptures; however, the laboratory evaluation of the elastomer tags indicated that neither tag loss nor tag-induced mortality were substantial. VIE tags have also been used successfully in tagging studies involving black drummer (Girella elevate, Griffiths, 2002), common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidanus, Goldsmith et al., 2003), bridled goby (Cryphopterus glaucofraenum, Malone et al., 1999), and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua, Olsen et al., 2004). Hence, it is unlikely that significant tag loss influenced these results. ...
The movement patterns of juvenile and adult Chilean flounder (P. adpersus) were investigated inside Tongoy Bay using ultrasound signal acoustic receivers from June 2012 to March, 2013. Flounder landings in Tongoy Bay and Puerto Aldea from December 2011 to March 2013 were examined. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the Catch per Unit of Effort of Chilean flounder was significantly and negatively related to temperature and depth. Analyses of site-and time-specific length-frequency distributions indicated movement of Chilean flounder on the time scale of weeks, which was likely due to emigration of fish >30 cm in total length. A mark-recapture study was performed. Visible elastomer paint was used to tag 7,510 Chilean flounder. A total of 12 Chilean flounder individuals of different lengths were tagged with an ultrasound transmission device to monitor their movement inside Tongoy Bay. Adults flounder showed increased activity inside Tongoy Bay during the study period, likely due of the differences in length among the released individuals. Although differences were detected in the area occupied by juvenile and adult flounders in Tongoy Bay, it was also noticed that the smaller sized individuals exhibited changes in behavior after implanting the transmitters that resulted in impaired capacity to move freely.
... The CJS model underlying our estimates of site fidelity and survivorship relies on repeat observations of tagged and untagged individuals, where untagged individuals are assumed to be immigrants to the pool. Although VIE tags are generally well retained (Catalano et al., 2001; Olsen & Vøllestad, 2001; Josephson et al., 2008) and a previous examination of tag retention in B. cocosensis found high tag retention for fish held in aquaria (Griffiths, 2002; White & Brown, 2013), we cannot know the rates of tag loss in the wild. Similarly, although we did not directly observe mortality associated with our handling of live fish, we cannot exclude some post-release mortality resulting from tagging. ...
The intertidal zone is a transitional environment that undergoes daily environmental fluctuations as tides rise and fall. Relatively few fish species are adapted to endure the physiological pressures of this environment. This study focused on Bathygobius cocosensis (Gobiidae), a common intertidal fish in New South Wales, Australia. We investigated whether shore height impacted site fidelity, survival probability, fish size, and morphological traits with respect to tidal height. Mark-recapture methods were used over a five month period to determine if individuals in high shore pools had greater site fidelity; fish in high tide pools were more than twice as likely to be recaptured in their original pool than fish from low tide pools. High pool individuals were, on average, smaller with larger eyes and longer snouts relative to their size as compared to low pool individuals. We discuss several mechanisms that could cause the observed pattern in morphological variation. Ultimately, this study suggests that within species behaviour and morphology differ by tidal position for an intertidal fish. Subjects Ecology, Marine Biology
... Aunque existen numerosas técnicas de marcaje con muy diferente grado de efectividad (Griffiths, 2002;Doupé et al. 2003), idealmente la técnica que se emplee debe afectar lo menos posible la conducta, la supervivencia, la reproducción o el crecimiento del animal en estudio, así como poseer altas tasas de retención que permitan obtener altos porcentajes de recapturas antes de deteriorarse (Woods & Martin-Smith, 2004). En el caso de los signátidos, una de las técnicas de marcaje más utilizadas en los últimos años han sido los implantes de elastómeros, etiquetas subcutáneas Fidelidad al sitio y rango de hogar del caballito de mar narizón Hippocampus reidi (Teleostei: Syngnathidae) empleadas con éxito en estudios ecológicos (Sánchez-Camara et al. 2006;Sogabe & Yanagisawa, 2007;Harasti et al. 2010). ...
En las últimas décadas se ha constatado un importante declive mundial en las poblaciones de peces de la familia Syngnathidae, entre las que se encuentran los carismáticos caballitos de mar. Hasta el momento en Cuba han sido escasas las investigaciones realizadas a las poblaciones de estos peces en su medio natural. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la fidelidad al sitio y el rango de hogar del caballito de mar narizón (Hippocampus reidi Ginsburg, 1933), especie pobremente estudiada y clasificada en la categoría de Datos Deficientes (DD) por la UICN. Los muestreos se realizaron entre abril de 2009 y agosto de 2010 en dos estaciones localizadas en la dársena de Varadero, que es un canal artificial localizado al noroeste de Cuba. Se llevaron a cabo censos visuales en 17 transectos (20 x 1 m) en cada estación. Un total de 68 individuos fueron identificados y marcados con elastómeros fluorescentes. H. reidi mostró fidelidad al sitio, recapturándose el 48.5% de los ejemplares marcados muy cerca o en el mismo transecto donde fueron localizados y censados por primera vez. El rango de hogar fue de 70.6 ± 60.1 m (media ± desviación estándar) y no se encontraron diferencias significativas en esta variable entre ambas estaciones o entre las hembras y los machos. Estos resultados incrementan el conocimiento actual que se tiene acerca de esta especie de caballito de mar y demuestran la vulnerabilidad de sus poblaciones a las posibles perturbaciones de su restringido hábitat.
... Common tagging locations include transparent tissues posterior to the eye, in the lower jaw, or in fin membranes. Tag retention varies by species, tag location within the body, and fish size; very small fishes may have insufficient transparent tissue to accommodate the size of the tag (Griffiths 2002). ...
... Common tagging locations include transparent tissues posterior to the eye, in the lower jaw, or in fin membranes. Tag retention varies by species, tag location within the body, and fish size; very small fishes may have insufficient transparent tissue to accommodate the size of the tag (Griffiths 2002). ...
Adult male Common Carp were sampled in 2007/08 over a full reproductive cycle at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Sites sampled included a stream dominated by treated wastewater effluent, a lake basin receiving the streamflow, an upstream lake basin (reference), and a site below Hoover Dam. Individual body burdens for 252 contaminants were measured, and biological variables assessed included physiological [plasma vitellogenin (VTG), estradiol-17β (E2), 11-ketotestosterone (11KT)] and organ [gonadosomatic index (GSI)] endpoints. Patterns in contaminant composition and biological condition were determined by Principal Component Analysis, and their associations modeled by Principal Component Regression. Three spatially distinct but temporally stable gradients of contaminant distribution were recognized: a contaminant mixture typical of wastewaters (PBDEs, methyl triclosan, galaxolide), PCBs, and DDTs. Two spatiotemporally variable patterns of biological condition were recognized: a primary pattern consisting of reproductive condition variables (11KT, E2, GSI), and a secondary pattern including general condition traits (condition factor, hematocrit, fork length). VTG was low in all fish, indicating low estrogenic activity of water at all sites. Wastewater contaminants associated negatively with GSI, 11KT and E2; PCBs associated negatively with GSI and 11KT; and DDTs associated positively with GSI and 11KT. Regression of GSI on sex steroids revealed a novel, nonlinear association between these variables. Inclusion of sex steroids in the GSI regression on contaminants rendered wastewater contaminants nonsignificant in the model and reduced the influence of PCBs and DDTs. Thus, the influence of contaminants on GSI may have been partially driven by organismal modes-of-action that include changes in sex steroid production. The positive association of DDTs with 11KT and GSI suggests that lifetime, sub-lethal exposures to DDTs have effects on male carp opposite of those reported by studies where exposure concentrations were relatively high. Lastly, this study highlighted advantages of multivariate/multiple regression approaches for exploring associations between complex contaminant mixtures and gradients and reproductive condition in wild fishes.
Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.
... I used four colors (red, green, yellow and orange) of visible implant elastomer (Northwest Marine Technology TM, www.nmt.us). Studies on comparably-sized gobies did not detect that internal elastomer tags increase mortality or influence behaviour (Griffiths 2002;Whiteman & Côté 2004). No indications of any negative impacts caused by the internal elastomer tags were found in previous studies using marked two-spotted gobies (de Jong et al. 2009;Myhre 2009). ...
... The election of VIA tag location is mostly associated with rigid motionless structures covered by transparent skin, such as the sector between eyes and the opercular zone (Buckley et al. 1994;Crook and White1995;Shepard et al. 1996;Hughes et al. 2000;Rikardsen et al. 2002;Summers et al. 2006), jaws (Olsen et al. 2004; Meerbeek et al. 2013) or nape (Griffiths 2002). These zones in H. macraei were not used for tag insertion owing to their small size and the unsuccessful results found in pilot experiments (J. ...
Effects of subcutaneous visible implanted alphanumeric (VIA) microtags, pelvic fin excision, and individual photo-identification (Pid) based on natural spot patterns were experimentally evaluated in the small stream benthic Patagonian catfish Hatcheria macraei. VIA tag retention was 90 % during the first 45 days, decreasing to 80 % at day 200, and 66 % at the end of the experiment, at day 254. Fin regeneration was not evident during the experiment. Survival, growth rate or condition factor (Fulton’s K) did not differ between tagged or pelvic fin clipped catfish and a control group. Spot patterns varied greatly among individuals and remained constant throughout the experimental period, thereby making identification of individual Pid possible in H. macraei. Tagging was not effective in identifying individual fish due to mark loss or difficulty in reading VIA tag codes. The combination of Pid with VIA tagging or fin clipping techniques in longterm experiments is advisable in order to facilitate individual recognition. The Pid analysis described in this study is a low-cost method that could potentially be applied to any fish with a variable spot pattern.
... All mature males were marked using a Visible Implant Elastomer (VIE; Northwest Marine Technologies) in order to allow individual identification. This marking method is appropriate for small fish, has excellent retention and causes little mortality (Griffiths, 2002). Fish were anesthetised using clove oil during marking. ...
... Limited temporal variability in local abundance of rock blackfish also indicate that the species has a relatively small home range (Curley 2007). High retention of elastomer tags (mean = 77 ± 19 % after 90 days) in juvenile rock blackfish inhabiting rock pools (Griffiths 2002) indicates their potential to investigate size-related migration of this species from intertidal to adjacent subtidal habitats. ...
Knowledge of the population biology, life-history ecology and scales of pre and post-settlement movement of marine species are needed to inform effective conservation management strategies, particularly when spatial information is required for management purposes such as zoning in Marine Protected Areas. This review provides the most current summary from primary and grey literature on the biology and ecology of several coastal fishes of economic and ecological significance in south-east Australia; identifies key knowledge gaps which may impede the development of effective spatial management; and recommends future research directions and methods. Reviewed species are luderick (Girella tricuspidata), eastern rock blackfish (Girella elevata), yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis), tarwhine (Rhabdosargus sarba), snapper (Pagrus auratus), red morwong (Cheilodactylus fuscus) and eastern blue grouper (Achoerodus viridis). The species have a diverse range of life-histories and population traits, and selected parameters were well studied in several species, such as growth (blue groper, luderick, yellowfin bream, tarwhine, snapper), post-settlement movement (red morwong), and larval ecology (yellowfin bream). However, empirical data on levels of pre- and post-settlement connectivity and real-time movements are not available for most species, and this represents a significant gap for improved spatial management. A multidisciplinary approach incorporating a range of methods including acoustic tracking and telemetry, otolith chemistry, intergenerational markers, and biophysical modelling will provide a more comprehensive understanding of life history parameters, movement and connectivity at scales relevant to MPA planning and monitoring.
... Percentage of the tag loss at the end of experimental period was 10.5 (Table 1). This result was relatively high compare to some other studies that used the same tagging system (HALE & GRAY, 1998;WILLIS & BABCOCK, 1998;GRIFFITHS, 2002). DEWEY & ZIGLER (1996) reported 99% tag retention after six months period of field and laboratory tests with adult fish Lepomis macrochirus. ...
Experimental laboratory tagging of 120 pumpkinseed sunfish, Lepomis gibbosus L. with subcutaneous injection of a fluorescent elastomer was done. Visible Implant Elastomers (VIE, Northwest Marine Technology, Shaw Island Washington, WA, USA) was used. Tag position was under anterior part of the dorsal fin. Three colours fluorescent elastomers were investigated: yellow, red and orange. Pumpkinseeds mortality rate, length and weight growth were evaluated for a period of 112 days. Tag retention and visibility on the end of the experiment was assessed. Results show that VIE is an effective tagging method and had no negative effects on pumpkinseed growth and surviving.
... All fish regained normal swimming behaviour within 10 min after this procedure. This method of tagging has been shown not to influence mortality or behaviour in other gobies ( Malone et al. 1999;Griffiths 2002;Whiteman & Côté 2004). ...
Males generally compete for females through courtship and aggression (conventional sex roles). However, sex roles are reversed in some species and can even vary between populations or over time within a single species. The operational sex ratio (OSR), the sex ratio of ready-to-mate individuals, is a central factor proposed to explain the strength and direction of mating competition. Density can both act as a cue for OSR and have its own effects on competition. In the two-spotted goby, Gobiusculus flavescens, a seasonal switch in sex roles coincides with a change in OSR from male to female biased and a decrease in male density. This dynamic system provides an ideal opportunity to test the effects of OSR and density on competitive behaviour experimentally. In an aquarium experiment, we created two different sex ratios at two different densities and observed courtship and agonistic behaviour in both sexes. We changed sex ratio to equality after 4 days of treatment, to test for a lag in the behavioural response. Contrary to our predictions, males courted more after prolonged exposure to a female-biased sex ratio, although we also found a tendency for a positive effect of male density on male courtship frequency. We did not find any other effects of treatment on either male or female behaviour. Furthermore, we did not find evidence for a lag in the response to a change in density or sex ratio. We conclude that OSR and density did not affect individual frequencies of behaviour in the expected direction.
... Each male had a unique combination of position and colour (red, green, yellow or orange) for the tag (see de Jong et al. 2009 for details of the marking procedure). Previous studies on gobies, including the two-spotted goby (de Jong et al. 2009;Myhre et al. 2012), have not detected any negative impact of VIE tagging on behaviour (Whiteman and Côté 2004) or survival (Malone et al. 1999;Griffiths 2002). After marking, females and males were simultaneously released to the experimental tanks at around 10:00 h. ...
The distribution of breeding resources, such as nest sites, can have a pronounced impact on a population by affecting the proportion of individuals that succeed to breed and hence, the variation in reproductive success. Aggregation of important resources can lead to resource monopolisation by a limited number of individuals and thus affect the intensity of sexual selection. In this study, we tested, by contrasting two experimental treatments (dispersed vs. aggregated), how nest distribution affects: (1) mating behaviour, (2) male nest occupation and mating success, and (3) reproductive success and the opportunity for selection. We used the two-spotted goby (Gobiusculus flavescens), a small marine fish with a resource-based mating system, as our model species. When nests were aggregated, a larger proportion of the males behaved aggressively, fewer males succeeded in occupying a nest, fewer males became mated, and those males that mated received fewer eggs from spawning females. These effects resulted in a higher variance in reproductive success and hence, a higher opportunity for selection (I
rs
), in the aggregated treatment. We suggest that the results are a direct consequence of males defending a territory around their nest, preventing competitively inferior males from breeding. However, we found no significant selection differentials for body length or condition of males in either treatment. Our results support the hypothesis that aggregation of essential resources like nests promotes resource monopolisation. In species facing highly clumped nesting resources in the wild, monopolisation may negatively impact population productivity but could lead to strong selection on traits that promote male competitive ability.
... In order to individually identify each fish during observations, subcutaneous coloured VIE tags were injected (Visible Implant Elastomer, Northwest Marine Technology Inc.; www.nmt.us). Previous work indicates that VIE tags do not affect behaviour (Whiteman & Côté, 2002) or mortality (Griffiths, 2002) in comparably sized gobies. Colour coding was randomized with respect to size-class and treatment. ...
The present study explored how male size relates to mating competition across a natural range of male and female densities in the two-spotted goby Gobiusculus flavescens. Across this range of social environments, large males were more than twice as likely as small ones to chase other males, to become nest-holders, and to court females, but large males were not significantly more likely to engage in agonistic fin displays. Overall, the study showed that large males court and fight more than small ones across a wide, yet natural, span of social environments. Having a large body size appears to confer competitive advantage for males in any social environment of the study species. Further studies are needed to disentangle whether the benefit of large size is mainly in competition over resources, over matings as such, or both.
... mean residuals p 0.14 ע 0.06 t p Ϫ2.72 P p .007 352 Females were anesthetized with a solution of diphenoxyethanol and seawater (120 mL : 1 L) before being marked with Visible Implant Elastomer (VIE) tags (Northwest Marine Technology, Shawn Island, Washington). VIE tagging is widely used (e.g., Buckley et al. 1994) and has been shown not to affect mortality or behavior in other gobiids (Malone et al. 1999;Griffiths 2002). The method has previously been successfully adopted in two-spotted gobies (de Jong et al. 2009). ...
The roles of females and males in mating competition and mate choice have lately proven more variable, between and within species, than previously thought. In nature, mating competition occurs during mate search and is expected to be regulated by the numbers of potential mates and same-sex competitors. Here, we present the first study to test how a temporal change in sex roles affects mating competition and mate choice during mate sampling. Our model system (the marine fish Gobiusculus flavescens) is uniquely suitable because of its change in sex roles, from conventional to reversed, over the breeding season. As predicted from sex role theory, courtship was typically initiated by males and terminated by females early in the breeding season. The opposite pattern was observed late in the season, at which time several females often simultaneously courted the same male. Mate-searching females visited more males early than late in the breeding season. Our study shows that mutual mate choice and mating competition can have profound effects on female and male behavior. Future work needs to consider the dynamic nature of mating competition and mate choice if we aim to fully understand sexual selection in the wild.
... 4% at the study conclusion . This is similar to the 7% mortality in in - tertidal rockpool ¢sh ( Gri⁄ths 2002 ) . This is most likely due to the physical damage incurred during the tagging process in these small ¢sh . ...
The development and testing of a visible implant elastomer pedigree-marking system was evaluated in sunshine bass, Morone chrysopsxMorone saxatilis, and white bass, M. chrysops (Rafinesque). These tags were tested in sunshine bass fingerlings at one of four subdermal body locations (posterior to the eye, dorsal fin musculature, caudal fin musculature or anal fin musculature). Tag visibility decreased with increased sunshine bass growth (63% after 56 days). Visibility differed among body locations, with the caudal and anal tagging locations having lower visibility. White bass fingerlings representing eight genetic groups were then tagged at one of two body locations (left or right subdermal along the dorsal musculature) using one of four fluorescent colours and reared for 42 days in a common garden growth trial. Tag visibility in white bass was 99.5% at 14 days, 98.2% at 28 days and 94.9% at 42 days after tagging. There was a significant change in weight among the eight genetic groups of white bass fingerlings after 42 days (P=0.03). Testing of this pedigree tagging system successfully identified phenotypically different groups of white bass fingerlings.
... Each rockpool was observed for about 20 minutes a day. For a better census, observations were done during after nightfall, using an UV light (Griffiths, 2002). In order to facilitate the census and due to the fact that fish try to stay into their refuges (under stones or crevices), fish were previously attracted using pieces of bread. ...
The homing ability of the rockpool fish Parablennius parvicornis was studied at the rocky shore of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). Fish were displaced from the original rockpool during low tide to another pool 74 metres away. The return of the first blenny occurs directly after the first tide while one week later 40% of the blennies had returned to the original pool. This paper discusses the homing behaviour of this species. RESUMEN: Se estudian las habilidades de retorno (homing) de la barriguda Parablennius parvicornis en una región de la costa rocosa de la isla de Gran Canaria (Islas Canarias, España). Los peces fueron desplazados desde su charco original, durante la bajamar, a otro charco que distase 74 metros. El retorno de la primera barriguda ocurrió después de la primera marea, mientras que tras una semana habían regresado el 40% de los peces originalmente desplazados. En este artículo se discute el comportamiento de retorno de esta especie
... In order to individually identify each fish during observations, subcutaneous coloured VIE tags were injected (Visible Implant Elastomer, Northwest Marine Technology Inc.; www.nmt.us). Previous work indicates that VIE tags do not affect behaviour (Whiteman & Côté, 2002) or mortality (Griffiths, 2002) in comparably sized gobies. Colour coding was randomized with respect to size-class and treatment. ...
Belly colouration, gonad carotenoid concentration and skin transparency were quantified in gravid Gobiusculus flavescens, as well as in females of five sympatric gobies where belly ornamentation has not been described. Although G. flavescens females did, indeed, have far more colourful bellies than the other species, this could only in part be explained by a high concentration of total gonad carotenoids. Comparable, or occasionally higher, carotenoid levels were found in the gonads of other species. Instead, the unusual ornamentation of G. flavescens arises from a unique combination of carotenoid-rich gonads and a highly transparent abdominal skin.
Visible implant alphanumeric (VIA) tags can be beneficial in studies where individual fish must be uniquely identifiable and other tagging methods are not feasible. We examined the feasibility of tagging the endangered Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Hybognathus amarus with VIA tags. We evaluated four key aspects related to VIA tagging in Rio Grande Silvery Minnow: 1) fish survival, 2) fish growth, 3) tag retention, and 4) tag legibility. Fish were randomly selected to be VIA tagged and were held in laboratory aquaria for 49 days. Visible implant alphanumeric tagged fish survival was high (96.7%), tag retention was low (36.2%), fish growth was not affected by tagging, and most retained tags were clearly legible (71.4%). Due to low tag retention and application difficulty, VIA tagging may not be applicable to large-scale field studies of small-bodied fishes.
Evaluación de la eficacia de tres vacunas frente a Lactococcus garvieae en trucha arcoíris (Oncorhynchus mykiss) mediante reto por cohabitación Resumen Lactococcus garvieae (L. garvieae) se considera un patógeno emergente por su potencial zoonótico para el ser humano (Meyburgh y cols., 2017), que afecta tanto a la acuicultura marina como a la continental y que puede llegar a provocar pérdidas económicas importantes sobre todo en verano, periodo en el cual el agua alcanza temperaturas elevadas (Vendrell y cols., 2006). Por este motivo, una vacunación adecuada y eficaz es la clave para minimizar el impacto de esta bacteria en aquellas especies de cultivo que son más susceptibles a sus efectos. En el presente estudio, se valoró la eficacia de tres vacunas frente a L. garvieae en trucha arcoíris, mediante el método de cohabitación 28 días post-vacunación. La que presentó una mayor protección fue la vacuna comercial (Icthiovac LG) frente a L. garvieae (RPS=87,50%), seguida de una vacuna experimental trivalente para L. garvieae y dos cepas de Yersinia ruckeri (RPS=81,25%) y por último una vacuna experimental tetravalente para L. garvieae, Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida y dos cepas de Y. ruckeri (RPS=70,93%). Los resultados de supervivencia de cada grupo se compararon con los del grupo control, indicando un incremento significativo de la resistencia frente al patógeno en todos los grupos vacunados (p<0,05). Summary Eficacy's evaluation through cohabitation challenge of three Lactococcus garvieae vaccines in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Lactococcus garvieae (L. garvieae) is considered an emergent pathogen because of its zoonotic potential, an emergent pathogen (Meyburgh y cols., 2017) both in marine and freshwater aquaculture, and it causes important economic losses in summer, when water temperature rises (Vendrell y cols., 2006). Because of this, an adequate vaccination is the key to minimize the impact of that bacterium in those cultivated species that are more susceptible to his effects. In the present study, the efficacy of three L. garvieae vaccines was evaluated with a cohabitation infection 28 days post-vaccination. A commercial vaccine (Icthiovac LG) showed the best results with a RPS=87.50%, followed by an experimental trivalent vaccine (L. garvieae and two Y. ruckeri strains) with a RPS=81.25% and finally an experimental tetravalent vaccine (L. garvieae, two Y. ruckeri strains and Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida) with a RPS=70.93%. The mortality results of each group was compared with those to the control group, indicating an increase of the immunity to this pathogen in all vaccinated groups (p<0.05).
ABSTRACT
Marking are used extensively for many years to estimate population size, determine the survival rates, measure the parameters of population, determine of the unit in stock, utilization rate movement and migration, determine of growth and age, measure of physiological parameters with the individual identification o fish and in behavioral studies. Priority and one of the simplest methods of estimation of population is the methods for mark-recapture with the data. The purpose of this review, describe mark-recapture methods used to estimate fish populations and introduce a wide range of marking materials from the primitive to the most modern.
In this study, the use of Visible Implant Elastomer (V.I.E.; Northwest Marine Technology Inc.) and Passive Integrated Transponder (P.I.T.; EiD Ibérica SA - TROVAN) tags in red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) were evaluated, as tag methods to know the genealogy under culture. For VIE tags, 0.5 and 2 g weight classes were tested, without any effect of the tag on growth. Tag was fragmented along experiments (3.06±0.17 fragments) but showed maximum retention. A significant mortality rate was detected on0.5 g tagged fish, being 21.7% higher in tagged fish (P<0.05). At 2 g weight, there was not effect of the tag on mortality and visibility per colour decreased in the following order; red, rose, green, orange, yellow, white and blue. For PIT tags, 4 and 10 g weight classes were evaluated and showed high tag retention, 99%. In both weight classes, PIT tags did not show effect on fish growth while tags produced a significant effect on mortality, 24.4% at 4 g and 27% at 10 g (P<0,05). Within this last weight class, there was not difference in mortality between tagged and untagged fish with weight >10 g.
Key words: VIE, PIT, red porgy, Pagrus pagrus, growth, mortality
Errors in visible implant elastomer (VIE) color determination may exert stronger influences on mark–recapture data quality than poor tag visibility and tag loss. I applied individual VIE tags to 567 wild long-snouted seahorses Hippocampus guttulatus using four fluorescent colors (red, orange, green, and yellow). Given VIE tag data were compared with tag data recorded by observers as they released recently tagged individuals back to initial capture locations. During releases, 13.3% of VIE tags were incorrectly read, primarily because of confusions between orange and red markings and between green and yellow markings. Tags were partially invisible in 5% of released individuals; yellow and green markings were the least visible. Whole or partial tag loss was 2.3% within 14 months of tagging. The ability to correctly determine VIE tag colors or detect markings varied among observers and according to the VIE tag color employed, skin color, and shade of the skin color (e.g., light versus dark green). Observer experience did not influence ability to correctly determine VIE colors or detect tags. Pilot studies should precede mark–recapture studies employing multiple VIE colors to identify strategies for reducing confusion among colors in addition to evaluating tag visibility, tag loss, and tag effects on life history rates.
Patterns of space use and the individual-based behaviour of microhabitat selection were investigated in three intertidal gobiid fishes, Bathygobius fuscus, Chaenogobius annularis and C. gulosus, from Kyushu, southern Japan. While the three species tended to occupy slightly different types of tidepool, their patterns of distribution largely overlapped in the field. Laboratory experiments involving choice of shelter (i.e. underneath a stone plate) and four different substrate types were conducted to examine size- and time-related variation in habitat selection. The shelter area was preferred by small- and large-sized C. gulosus (day and night), large C. annularis (day and night) and small C. annularis (daytime only), while no preference was evident in small B. fuscus (day and night) and small C. annularis (night). Patterns of substrate choice also differed among species, size groups and between day and night. Size differences in substrate use were evident in B. fuscus and C. gulosus but not in C. annularis, while diel differences were shown by all species groups except large B. fuscus. The gravel and sand substrates tended to be used more frequently than the bare rock substrate, but the strength of preference of a particular substrate type varied among individuals/species. Our results demonstrate that habitat selection by the three gobiid species is variable depending on species, body size and time of day, which must ultimately bear upon mitigating intra-/interspecific interactions in tidepool environments.
Mark-recapture studies for investigating migration patterns and population dynamics of large numbers of individuals require an effective, non-lethal marking technique. Our goal in the present study was to determine the suitability of visible implant elastomer (VIE) for a species in nominal decline, Etheostoma moorei (Yellowcheek Darter). Mortality and mark retention were initially studied in a laboratory setting using a surrogate species, Etheostoma caeruleum (Rainbow Darter) due to Yellowcheek Darter's conservation status (candidate species for listing as endangered). There was 100% survival and mark retention over the 58-day period for the fourteen Rainbow Darters injected with VIE marks, and there were no observable lesions or scars resulting from marking. Adult Yellowcheek Darters ≥30 mm (n = 385) were individually marked with VIE, and their soft dorsal fins were clipped. They were then returned to their original riffle sites on the Middle and South forks of the Little Red River, AR. There were a total of 26 recapture events, with a mark retention rate of 88% (12% of recaptures had evidence of fin clips, yet no VIE marks). The interval between initial capture and last recapture ranged from 13–401 days. We identified no relationship between position of injection, color marked, or darter size at injection and mark retention. The duration of the present study (13 months) appears suitable for VIE mark retention in Yellowcheek Darter. Adults are both slow-growing and short-lived, characteristics which enhance the suitability of VIE for mark-recapture use.
The use of the fluorescent visible implant elastomer (VIE) tagging system in juvenile gilthead seabream, Sparus auratus L., between 7 and 18 g was examined. Four different colours (red, green, orange and yellow), three body positions (dorsal, lateral and caudal) and two orientations (horizontal and vertical) were tested. The mean tag application time for each fish was 15.7±0.32 s. There was no mortality associated with the method of tagging. The most visible tag colour was red. Injection orientation had a significant effect on length, width, fragmentation and fluorescent intensity of the tag. Horizontal tagging is recommended because of high fluorescent intensity, low fragmentation and for double tagging. There were no differences in growth between untagged controls and the VIE-tagged fish.
We evaluated subdermal injection of a fluorescent elastomer for marking bluegills Lepomis macrochirus in laboratory and pond studies. Marking did not affect the growth or survival of adult or juvenile bluegills. Marks were visible for at least 6 months. This technique is a reliable, relatively inexpensive marking method for the identification of individual fish in experimental studies. Costs of application range from US0.03 per mark.
Debate on the control of population dynamics in reef fishes has centred on whether patterns in abundance are determined by the supply of planktonic recruits, or by post-recruitment processes. Recruitment limitation implies little or no regulation of the reef-associated population, and is supported by several experimental studies that failed to detect density dependence. Previous manipulations of population density have, however, focused on juveniles, and there have been no tests for density-dependent interactions among adult reef fishes. I tested for population regulation in Coryphopterus glaucofraenum, a small, short-lived goby that is common in the Caribbean. Adult density was manipulated on artificial reefs and adults were also monitored on reefs where they varied in density naturally. Survival of adult gobies showed a strong inverse relationship with their initial density across a realistic range of densities. Individually marked gobies, however, grew at similar rates across all densities, suggesting that density-dependent survival was not associated with depressed growth, and so may result from predation or parasitism rather than from food shortage. Like adult survival, the accumulation of new recruits on reefs was also much lower at high adult densities than at low densities. Suppression of recruitment by adults may occur because adults cause either reduced larval settlement or reduced early post-settlement survival. In summary, this study has documented a previously unrecorded regulatory mechanism for reef fish populations (density-dependent adult mortality) and provided a particularly strong example of a well-established mechanism (density-dependent recruitment). In combination, these two compensatory mechanisms have the potential to strongly regulate the abundance of this species, and rule out the control of abundance by the supply of recruits.
Marking reef fish with small, subcutaneous tags has proven to be a useful technique in ecological studies in both temperate and tropical systems. However, such tags may have adverse impacts on tagged individuals, possibly biasing estimates of demographic rates. We used field experiments on natural and artificial patch reefs to test for effects of subcutaneous acrylic paint and visual implant (VI) tags on the growth and mortality of the tropical goby Coryphopterus glaucofraenum (Gill). Growth of small (<∼35 mm TL) C. glaucofraenum marked with acrylic paint was slower than that of similarly sized fish marked with VI tags, but growth of larger (>∼35 mm TL) fish was unaffected by tagging method. Neither acrylic paint, nor VI tags, influenced the mortality of C. glaucofraenum. We also conducted experiments in large outdoor tanks to test whether visual implant fluorescent elastomer (VIE) tags increased the susceptibility to predation of two temperate gobies, Coryphopterus nicholsii (Bean) and Lythrypnus dalli (Gilbert). For both goby species, tagged fish were no more susceptible to predatory kelp bass, Paralabrax clathratus (Girard) than untagged fish. Overall, with the exception of the slight reduction in growth of small C. glaucofraenum caused by acrylic paint tags, our results indicate that internal microtags can provide an effective means of marking small reef fish without introducing significant artifacts.
An open access copy of this article is available from the publishers website. This paper assesses the potential effectiveness of the visible implant fluorescent elastomer (VIFE) tagging system for identifying groups of snapper (Pagrus auratus: Sparidae) in the field. Retention rate after surface tagging longline-caught fish was 93% over a 2-week period, with no mortality attributable to tagging. Incidence of fin or scale infection did not differ between tagged and control fish. A protocol for tagging snapper underwater was also developed. This technique caused less stress to the fish than remote fishing methods, but was labour intensive when large sample sizes were required. Orange VIFE tags were visible to divers at ranges of up to 6 m in water visibility of 8-10 m, when exposed to light frequencies capable of inducing fluorescent emissions. Red, green, and yellow tags were only identifiable at shorter ranges, depending on ambient light levels and direction. The range of tag detection increased with increasing water clarity. We suggest that VIFE tagging has better retention rates and is less intrusive compared with previously employed externally readable tags. Because tags are identifiable in situ without the necessity of recapture, this method has potentially wide-ranging applications in fish ecology and behavioural studies for adult as well as juvenile fishes.
The chapter attempts to concentrate on methods that have been specially devised for the study of intertidal fishes in situ, but also includes more generally applicable methods where they have been applied to intertidal species. It deals principally with methods of observation, capture, and marking and summarizes representative studies in which particular methods are described or illustrated in detail. It is intended to be a practical guide to methodology and further sources of information. The intertidal zone's ease of access, shallow water, and the fact that fishes are often concentrated in restricted areas at low tide, makes it an ideal location for the study of fishes. These advantages are, however, counterbalanced by the nature of the habitat and of the fishes themselves. Soft sediments, rocky shores, dense plant cover, or the turbulence caused by swell and breaking waves can all make capture and observation of fishes difficult. In addition, many intertidal species are small, well camouflaged, and cryptic in their behavior. Nevertheless, none of these problems is unique or insuperable, and in most cases methods have been developed to overcome the difficulties, although the varied nature of intertidal habitats means that few methods are universally applicable.
Retention and readability of visible implant (VI) tags were evaluated in adult (2-yearold) Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), adult (4-year-old) lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), and yearling (10-month-old) fish of both species. Tags were implanted in adipose eyelid tissue posterior to the eye. After 10 months, retention in yearlings was 49% by Atlantic salmon and 41% by lake trout. In adults, retention was 84% by Atlantic salmon and 45% by lake trout. Tag retention in yearling Atlantic salmon increased with fish weight at tagging; tag retention, by weight-groups, was 0% for fish that weighed 20 g or less; 46% for 21–40-g fish; and 71% for 41–99-g fish. Tag retention in adults of Atlantic salmon and lake trout was not related to fish weight. After 10 months, the percentage of readable tags was 100% in yearling Atlantic salmon and 82% in adult Atlantic salmon, and 0% in yearling lake trout and 77% in adult lake trout. None of the tags in yearling lake trout were readable 294 d after implant, because of cloudiness of the adipose eyelid tissue. Tags recovered from fish with cloudy adipose tissue were readable. The proportion of total tag loss occurring in the first 70 d after tagging was 78% in yearling Atlantic salmon and 22% in adult Atlantic salmon, and 67% in yearling lake trout and 41% in adult lake trout. An illuminated magnifier lamp (1.7 × magnification) greatly increased the readability of the VI tags. The VI tags were effective for Atlantic salmon larger than 30 g, but they were not effective for lake trout.
Sea-run cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki were tagged with visible implant (VI) tags inserted into the transparent periocular tissue. Sequentially coded wire tags were placed in the snout of the same fish to evaluate long-term retention and visibility of VI tags. Fish ranged from 200 to 307 mm fork length at the time of tagging. Tags were recovered 3–21 months after tagging through voluntary returns from anglers and from hatchery rack returns. Ninety-four percent of the 156 tagged fish recovered from the hatchery rack retained the VI tag. All but one of the VI tags were visible and readable in situ after recapture.
In tropical fisheries where ageing fish is often difficult, tagging programmes offer an important means to estimate growth parameters and mortality rates. The majority of tags are large and attached externally via a puncture in the muscle. These characteristics may cause significant biological effects which bias parameter estimates. Visible implant (VI) tags offer a more benign means to individually mark fish. The utility of VI tags for marking five species of tropical river fish was examined. The results indicate that the tag and tagging operation had no influence on either growth or mortality, although tag retention was poor compared with other studies. For three of the five species, the only suitable tagging location was highly inconspicuous and therefore inappropriate for tagging programmes that rely upon fishermen to return tagged fish. Alternative tagging locations may improve retention rates and the visibility of the tag.
A suitable concentration of clove oil for anaesthetizing eight common Australian intertidal fishes was 40 mg l−1. Induction and recovery times at this concentration varied markedly interspecifically, although were <3 and 5 min, respectively for all but Enneapterygius rufopileus. The number of species in clove oil samples was remarkably similar to bilge pumping samples in both small and large pools, although the number of individuals was significantly lower than bilge pumping in large pools. Number of species and individuals recorded by visual census differed from clove oil and bilge pumping methods in both large and small pools. Failure to detect all fish in pools by clove oil sampling and visual census was due to the secretive behaviour of many species and the tendency for such species as Bathygobius cocosensis not to emerge from under rocks during induction to anaesthesia. Complete draining of pools by bilge pumping, although time consuming, was a more accurate method of sampling rockpool fish assemblages than clove oil. However, clove oil is an effective stand-alone sampling method because the number of fish and individuals are remarkably similar to samples obtained by bilge pumping. Clove oil is a favourable anaesthetic for temperate Australian intertidal fishes as mortality is extremely low, it is inexpensive and user-safe, and induction and recovery times are short, although still sufficient to record biological information and identifications of fish whilst under anaesthesia.