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Use of Oxytetracycline to Mark Larval Red Drum: Survival and Mark Persistence
Author(s) -
Denson Michael R.,
Smith Theodore I. J.
Publication year - 2008
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/m07-049.1
Subject(s) - oxytetracycline , zoology , salinity , larva , fishery , biology , chemistry , toxicology , ecology , antibiotics , biochemistry
The objectives of this research were to optimize techniques for the mass marking of larval red drum Sciaenops ocellatus with oxytetracycline (OTC) by testing effects of salinity (i.e., total dissolved solids [TDS], either as artificial sea salt [AS] or laboratory‐grade NaCl) and immersion duration on fish survival and mark retention. Survival of larvae immersed for 24 h was greater than 83% for all combinations of salinity (15–30 g of TDS/L of water) and OTC concentration (0–500 mg of OTC/L of water). Treatments with the lowest Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ concentrations ([Ca 2+ ] and [Mg 2+ ]; i.e., highest NaCl in substitution of AS), highest OTC concentrations, and longest exposure times yielded the poorest survival (mean ± SD = 63.3 ± 5.8%). Conversely, mark quality (on a scale of 1–5, where 1 = best and 5 = worst) was greatest (1.4 ± 0.4) in treatments with the lowest [Ca 2+ ] and [Mg 2+ ]. Larval survival (>93%) and mark quality (2.3 ± 0.1) were acceptable under a combination of 500‐mg/L OTC, 30‐g/L TDS (80% of normal [Ca 2+ ] and [Mg 2+ ]), and 24‐h exposure duration. Marks were evaluated for 20 months but could be reliably detected for only 3 months. The marking technique developed in this research may be useful in studies that require immersion marking of marine fish larvae and reliable detection for 3 months.