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Effects of Pulsed DC Electroshock on Adult Roundtail Chub from the Colorado River in Colorado
Author(s) -
Cowdell Bryan R.,
Valdez Richard A.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8675(1994)014<0659:eopdeo>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - electrofishing , fish <actinopterygii> , fishery , fillet (mechanics) , duty cycle , environmental science , geology , biology , materials science , physics , composite material , quantum mechanics , power (physics)
Abstract Forty adult roundtail chub Gila robusta were captured by pulsed DC electroshock from the Colorado River near the Colorado–Utah state line and examined for spinal injury and tissue damage by X rays and necropsy. The fish were captured from an electrofishing boat, by means of a Coffelt V VP‐ 15 electrofisher with a square waveform pulsed DC output of 120 V and 8 A (20% duty cycle, 40 Hz). No external bruises or abnormal behavior were noted immediately after electroshocking. Open‐fillet necropsy revealed local hemorrhaging along a portion of the spine in 5% (two) of the fish, and no dislocated or fractured vertebrae were observed in the X‐ray photographs. Electrofishing with square‐wave pulsed DC at 40 Hz was determined to be a safe method for capturing native roundtail chub from the Colorado River, when used under these conditions.