Activity and energetics of free‐swimming fish: insights from electromyogram telemetry

Abstract

Electromyogram (EMG) telemetry studies that involve remotely monitoring the locomotory activity and energetics of ¢sh are contributing important information to the conservation and management of ¢sheries resources. Here, we outline the development of this rapidly evolving ¢eld and formulate the studies conducted that utilize this technology. To date, more than 60 studies have been conducted using EMG telemetry that spans 18 species. Several general trends were observed in the methodology of the studies that we have highlighted as standards that should be adopted associated with transmitter customization, electrode placement and surgical technique. Although numerous studies have been methodological, there are still some de¢ciencies in our basic understanding of issues such as the need for individual calibration and the method of reporting or transforming data. Increasingly, this technology is being applied to address issues in conservation, management and aquaculture production. At present, the technology has been most frequently applied to the study of animal activity or energetics and to migration. Several recent studies have also focused on addressing more basic questions in ecological and evolutionary biology (e.g. parental care dynamics) similar to the large body of literature that has been collected for other taxa (e.g. marine mammals, birds), using activity telemetry. Collectively, studies conducted using EMG telemetry have contributed important information on free-swimming ¢sh that was previously di¤cult to obtain. EMG telemetry is particularly e¡ective for examining behaviour at temporal and spatial scales that are di¤cult using other techniques. The development of an ultrasonic transmitter based on the same proven principles as those used in the current radio transmitter technology will permit studies in other environments (i.e. marine, brackish, deep water) and on di¡erent species of ¢sh.We encourage the continued development and re¢nement of devices for monitoring the activity and energetics of free-swimming ¢sh, and also encourage researchers to consider EMG telemetry as a tool for addressing questions that are not e¡ectively answered with other techniques.

Tracking animals in freshwater with electronic tags: past, present and future

“…Physiologically oriented sensors (for example, electrocardiography; electromyography, acceleration) have been used primarily on fish [95,96]. Electromyography sensors incorporated in radio transmitters were developed in the 1970s to record opercular muscle activity or overall fish locomotor activity [97][98][99], and are today the most commonly used physiological sensor tool for studying energetics and migration in freshwater fish [17]. Electrocardiography or other cardiac metrics, such as heart rate (see [100] for review) have been used in radio (for alligators [101] and for fish [102]), acoustic (for fish [103]) and archival (for fish [104,105]) tags.…”

“…A variety of electronic tagging tools have been used in freshwater for the study of vertebrates and some of the larger invertebrates (summarized in [15][16][17][18]; See Table 1). Active telemetry tools that remotely transmit information between a transmitter and receiver, including radio and acoustic telemetry, and passive tools, such as passive integrated transponders (PIT tags), have been applied to a variety of freshwater taxa ( Figure 1).…”

The effects of swimming pattern on the energy use of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurataL.)

“…However, the number of invasive sensors should be limited as it may decrease the mobility and increase the energy demand on the fish (Steinhausen et al 2006;Gollock et al 2009). A single sensor measuring either the caudal differential pressure (Webber et al 2001;Steinhausen et al 2007;Gollock et al 2009) or the electromyogram of the working muscles (Cooke et al 2004) may be suitable methods. These sensors measure the total power performed by the swimming fish and U, DU and are all included.…”

Behavioral and physiological responses of American black bears to landscape features within an agricultural region

“…In contrast to other visible measures of health (e.g., weight loss, illness, population decline), physiological measurements can capture more immediate changes to an organism's health and thus provide an early warning system for deleterious influences in a changing environment. Advances in biologger technology, which can remotely measure physiological parameters, can be combined with locational data to examine physiological responses to intrinsic and extrinsic factors over extended time periods and in natural settings (Cooke et al 2004b, Block et al 2005.…”