Implanting 8‐mm Passive Integrated Transponder Tags into Small Brook Trout: Effects on Growth and Survival in the Laboratory

Abstract

Passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags are commonly used to investigate relationships between individual fish and their environment. The recent availability of smaller tags has provided the opportunity to tag smaller fish. In this study, we implanted 8‐mm PIT tags into small Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis (35–50 mm FL; 0.35–1.266 g) and compared tag retention, growth rates, and survival of PIT‐tagged fish with those of fish subjected to handling only or to handling plus fin clipping. We also examined how initial size at tagging affected absolute and specific growth rates of PIT‐tagged individuals over time. We found that survival was 100%, tag retention was 96.7%, and fish size did not vary across treatments at 29 and 64 d posttagging. Additionally, there was no evidence that growth rate (FL or mass) was influenced by the initial size of the fish that were PIT tagged. Our results indicate that retention rates of 8‐mm PIT tags surgically implanted into small Brook Trout are high and that there is no discernible effect on growth or survival in the laboratory. The ability to implant smaller PIT tags into smaller fish earlier in the season would allow researchers conducting PIT tag studies to expand demographic models to estimate survival of age‐0 fish through the summer of their first year. Received May 27, 2016; accepted March 9, 2017 Published online May 4, 2017

Detection Efficiency of a Portable PIT Antenna for Two Small‐Bodied Fishes in a Piedmont Stream

“…The 56% detection rate of Mottled Sculpin with 8mm PIT tags was higher than we had anticipated and was comparable to the capture probability of individual fish in single-pass backpack electrofishing, as reported for the Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis (57%; Letcher et al 2015), Mottled Sculpin (54%), Central Stoneroller Campostoma anomalum (54%), Creek Chub (55%), Brown Trout (59%), and Longnose Dace Rhinichthys cataractae (56%; Hense et al 2010). Use of 8-mm tags allows for the tagging of fish as small as 35-40 mm TL (Bangs et al 2013;Cary et al 2017;O'Donnell and Letcher 2017. Thus, the researcher is faced with a trade-off between higher detection efficiency but larger minimum fish size when using 12-mm tags versus lower detection efficiency but smaller minimum fish size when using 8-mm tags.…”

“…Data collected on uniquely marked individuals are useful for obtaining information on life history and biology (Ruetz et al 2006). Among marking techniques, PIT tags are commonly used in fisheries research because they are small in size and are relatively inexpensive Banish et al 2016;Cary et al 2017;O'Donnell and Letcher 2017). Passive integrated transponder technology has multiple applications in mark-redetection studies.…”

Potential Impacts of PIT Tagging on a Critically Endangered Small‐Bodied Fish: A Trial on the Surrogate Mountain Galaxias

“…; Tiffan et al. ) and as small as 35 mm FL (O'Donnell and Letcher ). Several studies have indicated that juveniles and small‐bodied species (<100 mm TL) belonging to several families, including Cyprinidae, Cottidae, Lotidae, and Percidae, can also be PIT‐tagged with no adverse effects (Baras et al.…”

“…However, developments in PIT technology have led to smaller tags, meaning that smaller‐bodied species may now be studied using this method (Roussel et al. ; O'Donnell and Letcher ). The small size, low cost, and long lifetime of PIT tags are major factors in their popularity and wide application in fisheries management.…”

“…Tag size, weight, and battery life are critical considerations that have formerly precluded the use of internal telemetry tags for small individuals. However, developments in PIT technology have led to smaller tags, meaning that smaller-bodied species may now be studied using this method (Roussel et al 2000;O'Donnell and Letcher 2017). The small size, low cost, and long lifetime of PIT tags are major factors in their popularity and wide application in fisheries management.…”