USGS Science⌕ Search
Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 70193177

Long term retention, survival, growth, and physiological indicators of salmonids marked with passive integrated transponder tags

Kenneth G. Ostrand·Gayle B. Zydlewski·William L. Gale·Joseph D. Zydlewski
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

To track individuals in situ, over 12 million salmon and trout have been marked with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in the Columbia River Basin, USA. However, few studies have examined long term tag retention as well as tag effects on juvenile salmon and trout. We marked juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch (N = 207), steelhead (anadromous rainbow trout) O. mykiss (N = 221), cutthroat trout O. clarkii (N = 202) and bull trout Salvelinus confluentus (N = 180) with 12, 19, or 23 mm PIT tags and examined tag retention, survival, growth, and physiological performance over a six month period in a laboratory environment. PIT tag retention rates were high for coho salmon (100%), steelhead (95%), cutthroat trout (97%), and bull trout (99%), regardless of tag size. Survival was also high for coho (99%), steelhead (99%), cutthroat trout (97%), and bull trout (88%) and did not vary among tag sizes. Short term individual growth rates for coho salmon marked with 12 mm tags were significantly higher than those marked with 19 mm and 23 mm PIT tags. Likewise, steelhead trout individual growth rates were lower for fish marked with 23 mm PIT tags followed by 19 and 12 mm tags. Conversely, long-term growth rates were positive and not affected by tag size. There were no significant effects of tag size or marking on coho gill Na+, K+, -ATPase activity (µmol ADP x mg protein–1 h–1) and plasma osmolality (µmol kg–1) or bull trout hepatosomatic indices. Our study suggests that marking juvenile salmonids with PIT tags results in high retention with little effect upon their survival, growth, and important physiological indicators regardless of tag size in a laboratory environment.

Explore related subjects

American Fisheries Society SymposiumArticle

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Kenneth G. Ostrand, Gayle B. Zydlewski, William L. Gale, Joseph D. Zydlewski. 2011. Long term retention, survival, growth, and physiological indicators of salmonids marked with passive integrated transponder tags. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70193177

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2019

Changes in body condition and diet of lotic Smallmouth Bass across two flow regimes during summer months at the southern extent of their native range

The Ozark Plateau is located at the southern extent of native Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu range and water temperature and drought conditions during summer months may potentially affect growth of Smallmouth Bass in this region. Groundwater streams in the region do not warm to the same extent as runoff streams during summer months and could provide a thermal refuge habitat for Smallmouth Bass from high summer temperatures and drought conditions. Our study objective was to examine differences in body condition and diet of Small-mouth Bass through summer months between groundwater and runoff streams. We sampled Smallmouth Bass from eight streams across two the flow regimes monthly from June-September from 2014 to 2016 in the Ozark Plateau of Arkansas and Missouri. Relative weights were calculated and diet contents were examined for each fish. Linear mixed model analyses indicated that relative weights declined in both stream types in 2014 and 2015, but not in 2016. Surprisingly, there was no significant difference in change in relative weights between runoff and groundwater streams in any year. No diet shifts over the course of the summer were noted in any year, and no differences were seen between stream types. Our results suggest that further work should investigate the refuge qualities of groundwater streams for Smallmouth Bass in this region as Smallmouth Bass from both stream types may currently respond similarly to summer conditions.. Middaugh, Chris & Magoulick, Daniel. (2019). Changes in Body Condition and Diet of Lotic Smallmouth Bass across Two Flow Regimes during Summer Months at the Southern Extent of Their Native Range. The Ozark Plateau is located at the southern extent of native Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu range and water temperature and drought conditions during summer months may potentially affect growth of Smallmouth Bass in this region. Groundwater streams in the region do not warm to the same extent as runoff streams during summer months and could provide a thermal refuge habitat for Smallmouth Bass from high summer temperatures and drought conditions. Our study objective was to examine differences in body condition and diet of Small-mouth Bass through summer months between groundwater and runoff streams. We sampled Smallmouth Bass from eight streams across two the flow regimes monthly from June-September from 2014 to 2016 in the Ozark Plateau of Arkansas and Missouri. Relative weights were calculated and diet contents were examined for each fish. Linear mixed model analyses indicated that relative weights declined in both stream types in 2014 and 2015, but not in 2016. Surprisingly, there was no significant difference in change in relative weights between runoff and groundwater streams in any year. No diet shifts over the course of the summer were noted in any year, and no differences were seen between stream types. Our results suggest that further work should investigate the refuge qualities of groundwater streams for Smallmouth Bass in this region as Smallmouth Bass from both stream types may currently respond similarly to summer conditions.

Arkansas, Missouri↗