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Growth, mortality and tag retention of small Anguilla anguilla marked with visible implant elastomer tags and coded wire tags under laboratory conditions
Author(s) -
Simon J.,
Dörner H.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of applied ichthyology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.392
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1439-0426
pISSN - 0175-8659
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0426.2010.01622.x
Subject(s) - biology , implant , dorsum , anatomy , zoology , surgery , medicine
Summary Growth, and potential marking‐related mortality of small European eel Anguilla anguilla (L.) after marking with visible implant elastomer tags (VIE) and coded wire tags (CWT) were investigated over a 6‐month period in a laboratory experiment. In addition, mark retention after marking was examined for another 16.5 months. Neither marking method had a significant effect on growth (P > 0.05) or mortality (P > 0.05). After 32 days detection of the VIE marks implanted on the ventral surface and along the base of the ventral tail fin margin was 98 and 100%, respectively, but decreased to 9 and 66% after 512 days. Retention of the CWT implanted in the dorsal musculature of A. anguilla was 99% after 32 days and did not change by day 512. It was therefore concluded that marking‐induced mortality was nil for both marking types over the 6‐month period. Generally, both methods are found to be suitable for marking young A. Anguilla. VIE tags, however, should be used for short‐time mark‐recapture experiments only, and should be injected at the base of the ventral fin margin. The use of CWTs seems to be the more suitable marking method for long‐term mark‐recapture experiments. Nevertheless, field tests are necessary to evaluate these marking methods.