T-306A-13
Assessment of PIT Tag Retention and Post-Tagging Survival in Transformer-Phase Sea Lamprey

Tuesday, August 19, 2014: 2:10 PM
306A (Centre des congrès de Québec // Québec City Convention Centre)
Lee Simard , University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Alex Sotola , Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL
Scott Miehls , USGS - Hammond Bay Biological Station, Millersburg, MI
J. Ellen Marsden , Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags have been used to document and monitor the movement or behavior of numerous species of fishes. When initiating a study using PIT tags, it is important to document immediate and post-surgery survival, as well as tag retention. We evaluated PIT tag retention and survival of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) transformers in a controlled environment for 25+ d. Sea lamprey transformers (n=191) were anesthetized, 12 mm PIT tags were inserted surgically into the body cavity, then individuals were monitored. Tagged lamprey were held in a small tank for 24h post-surgery to monitor initial tag retention and immediate survival, and then moved to a 1.2m circular tank where the lamprey were monitored thereafter. Survival was 100% at 24h post-tagging, and ≥89% at 25d post-tagging, compared to 95% survival of untagged lamprey. Tag retention was 100% at 24h post-tagging and ≥98% at 28d post-tagging. Ninety-nine percent of tagged transformers >145mm (n=151) survived, and 71% of tagged transformers <145mm (n=40) survived. Based on these results, sea lamprey transformers longer than 145mm are recommended for studies using PIT tags.