Surgical implantation techniques for electronic tags in fish

Abstract

Intracoelomic implantation of transmitters into fish requires making a surgical incision, incision closure, and other surgery related techniques; however, the tools and techniques used in the surgical process vary widely. We review the available literature and focus on tools and techniques used for conducting surgery on juvenile salmonids because of the large amount of research that is conducted on them. The use of sterilized surgical instruments properly selected for a given size of fish will minimize tissue damage and infection rates, and speed the wound healing of fish implanted with transmitters. For the implantation of transmitters into small fish, the optimal surgical methods include making an incision on the ventral midline along the linea alba (for studies under 1 month), protecting the viscera (by lifting the skin with forceps while creating the incision), and using absorbable monofilament suture with a small-swaged-on swaged-on tapered or reverse-cutting needle. Standardizing the implantation techniques to be used in a study involving particular species and age classes of fish will improve survival and transmitter retention while allowing for comparisons to be made among studies and across multiple years. This review should be useful for researchers working on juvenile salmonids and other sizes and species of fish.

Survival of seaward-migrating PIT and acoustic-tagged juvenile Chinook salmon in the Snake and Columbia Rivers: an evaluation of length-specific tagging effects

“…Further, acoustic-tagged fish were subjected to many potential stressors that PIT fish did not experience. Holding duration and conditions, handling, anesthesia, and the process of surgically implanting transmitters likely contributed to the greater tag effect observed among AT fish [40,41]. For example, AT fish were handled more than PIT fish and were anesthetized twice whereas, PIT fish were anesthetized only once.…”

Implementation of a Non-lethal Biopsy Punch Monitoring Program for Mercury in Smallmouth Bass, Micropterus dolomieu Lacepède, from the Eleven Point River, Missouri

“…The wounds were not sutured or glued closed after sampling in order to maintain a simple field protocol and to minimize the time the fish were out of water. [Note: contrary to some reports, the use of cyanoacrylate surgical adhesives on fish may lead to tissue necrosis or dehiscence (Wagner et al 2011)]. The tissue plug was extracted from the biopsy punch with stainless-steel forceps and placed on aluminum foil.…”

Forebay use and entrainment rates of resident adult fish in a large hydropower reservoir

“…A small incision (20 to 30 mm) was made to one side of the ventral midline, 30 to 50 mm posterior to the pectoral fins, and the fish was sexed visually by examining the gonads. The acoustic tag (cleaned with betadine) was inserted into the coelomic cavity and the incision was closed with 3 to 4 simple interrupted sutures (Ethicon 3-0 PDS II monofilament absorbable suture material, Johnson & Johnson) (Wagner et al 2011). Fish were then placed in a recovery box filled with ambient reservoir water and released at the capture site once they regained equilibrium.…”