Comparing tagging strategies: Effects of tags on retention rate, mortality rate and growth in hatchery-reared juvenile meagre, &lt;em&gt;Argyrosomus regius&lt;/em&gt; (Pisces: Sciaenidae)

María Del Mar Gil,Miquel Palmer,Elena Pastor,Enrique Massutí,Amalia Grau

doi:10.3989/scimar.04583.26b

Comparing tagging strategies: Effects of tags on retention rate, mortality rate and growth in hatchery-reared juvenile meagre, <em>Argyrosomus regius</em> (Pisces: Sciaenidae)

María Del Mar Gil, Miquel Palmer + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.04583.26b

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of different tags (T-bar anchor tags, internal anchor tags and visible implant elastomers) implanted into juvenile meagre, Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801) for a restocking programme conducted in the Balearic Islands. Effectiveness was assessed in terms of tag loss, fish survival and fish growth by means of a tank experiment. The internal anchor tags showed the highest retention rate (100%), but the tagging mortality was also high (40%). The tagging mortality of T-bar tags was negligible. However, another tank experiment with different food rates showed the tag retention rate of the T-bar tag to be highly variable, ranging from 35% to 95%. In contrast with other reported results, the retention rate of visible implant elastomers was low (48%). Finally, none of the tested tags affected growth. In summary, the T-bar anchor tags showed the best trade-off between short-term tag retention and fish mortality, and seem to be the most suitable tagging method for meagre juveniles.

Highlights

Mark-recapture methods are becoming widely available for modelling population dynamics and for assessing the success of management actions of fish stocks (Lorenzen 2005, Ye et al 2005, Gil et al 2015)
Summary: The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of different tags (T-bar anchor tags, internal anchor tags and visible implant elastomers) implanted into juvenile meagre, Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801) for a restocking programme conducted in the Balearic Islands
Effectiveness was assessed in terms of tag loss, fish survival and fish growth by means of a tank experiment

Summary

Introduction

Mark-recapture methods are becoming widely available for modelling population dynamics and for assessing the success of management actions of fish stocks (Lorenzen 2005, Ye et al 2005, Gil et al 2015). The development and testing of a reliable tagging method should precede any investment in restocking itself (Bell et al 2006). Tagging fish provides data invaluable for assessing a restocking programme and for other objectives beyond restocking. These objectives include assessing the impact of escaped farm fish, studying fish movement patterns, and determining migration tendencies, growth rate, mortality rate and population abundance (Phelps and Rodriguez 2011, Arechavala-Lopez et al 2017)

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