Title: How Small Can We Go? Evaluating Survival, Tag Retention, and Growth of Juvenile Chinook Salmon Implanted with a New Acoustic Microtag

Abstract

Recently, a micro acoustic tag was developed for use in juvenile American Eels Anguilla rostrate and Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus, called the Eel/Lamprey Acoustic Tag (ELAT). The ELAT (12.0 mm × 2.0 mm, 0.088 g in air) has the potential to be used to study other small-bodied fishes. In this pilot study, juvenile Chinook Salmon O. tshawytscha 50–100 mm fork length (FL) were surgically tagged with an ELAT (n = 99) or remained untagged (control; n = 101). Fish were held for 30 days to evaluate survival, tag retention, and growth. Mortality did not differ significantly between control (n = 3, or 3.0%) and tagged fish (n = 4, or 4.1%; H = 0.18, df = 1, p = 0.67). Logistic regression analysis showed survival was influenced by initial FL (p = 0.04) and tag burden (p = 0.01). Mortalities only occurred in tagged fish with initial FLs of = 65 mm (FL range 57–65; tag burdens 3.8–5.9%). However, a tagged fish with an initial FL of 62 mm or an initial tag burden of 4.1% (FL range 58–64 mm) was predicted to have a 90% chance of survival, and the smallest fish that survived the study was 54 mmmore » FL (1.8 g; tag burden 4.9%). Tag retention was high (99%) with only one fish expelling an ELAT during the study. Control fish grew slightly larger than the tagged individuals, but differences in final pooled FLs were not significant (H = 1.24, df = 1, p = 0.27). Differences in final pooled weight gains were also not significant (H = 0.39, df = 1, p = 0.53). Finally, although this was a pilot study, our results demonstrated the successful surgical implantation of the ELAT into Chinook Salmon as small as 54 mm FL (1.8 g).« less

Authors:

Fischer, Eric S.  ^[1];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-6852-4228"

Blackburn, Shannon E.  ^[1];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-3352-1801"

Liss, Stephanie A.  ^[1];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-6405-3537"

Hughes, James S. ^[1]; Li, Huidong ^[1]; Deng, Zhiqun Daniel  ^[1]

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-8300-8766"

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Publication Date:

Wed Nov 06 00:00:00 EST 2019

Research Org.:

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1608952

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1573296

Report Number(s):

PNNL-SA-144456
Journal ID: ISSN 0275-5947

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC05-76RL01830

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

North American Journal of Fisheries Management

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 39; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 0275-5947

Publisher:

Taylor and Francis

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; evaluating; survival; tag; growth; micro; acoustic; Chinook salmon