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The Effect of 1.5‐Length and Double‐Length Coded Wire Tagson Coho Salmon Survival, Growth, Homing, and Electronic Detection
Author(s) -
Blankenship H. Lee,
Thompson Daniel A.
Publication year - 2003
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(2003)023<0060:teolad>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - oncorhynchus , homing (biology) , fish measurement , hatchery , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , snout , growth rate , biology , zoology , ecology , mathematics , geometry
We compared 1.6‐mm and 2.2‐mm coded wire tags (CWTs) of a new composite to the original 1.1‐mm CWTs by examining (1) tag detectability, (2) rates of adult returns, and (3) growth in coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch . We found that coho salmon tagged with the larger CWTs returned in numbers similar to salmon with the smaller CWTs. The sizes of returning adults and rates of successful homing were not different between fish with the new and old tags. Based on CWT recoveries, we estimate that of the adults returning, 99.98% successfully returned to their hatchery of release. Samplers using wands and R9500 tunnel detectors recovered 99.93% and 100% of the tags, respectively. Tag length and wire composition had little bearing on electronic detection; however, coho salmon adults in our study returned at relatively small sizes (mean fork length, <50 cm). Other studies with larger salmonids have shown lower electronic detection rates. Study results suggest that larger CWTs will not compromise coho salmon survival, growth, or homing, provided the fish have a snout target area of sufficient size to accommodate the CWT.