Abstract
External tagging of fish using pop-up satellite tags (PSATs) can cause trauma and stress associated with capture, handling, tagging injury and tag placement that impedes body function and mobility, and these can affect the behaviour of the fish. We measured short-term (days) post-release behavioural response of estuarine shortnose sturgeon to tagging with PSATs and high-frequency accelerometers. We developed a secure, low-noise attachment method for high-resolution (50 Hz) accelerometer PSATs in shortnose sturgeon. The archived time series of acceleration was used to determine sturgeon post-tagging activity, estimate swimming speed, erratic behaviour and behavioural clusters in relation to ambient light level and temperature, depth and tidal flow. Short-term (hours) post-release response was characterized by resting periods on the river bottom and decreased swimming activity that was associated with individual-specific modulations in the swimming gait and high-energy burst acceleration movements. Locomotion routines suggested a relation to tidal flow, yet the short-term time series did not allow for routine movements to be classified. The approach used provides a useful method of revealing behavioural modifications during the post-release recovery period of PSAT-tagged fish. We discuss how short-term (acute) effects on behaviour and potential longer-term (chronic) effects on survival are especially relevant in tagging studies.
Highlights
External tagging of fish using pop-up satellite tags (PSATs) can cause trauma and stress associated with capture, handling, tagging injury and tag placement that impedes body function and mobility, and these can affect the behaviour of the fish
A major challenge in using PSAT accelerometers is the PSAT attachment that typically relies on a single-point attachment where the release mechanism located at the leading end of the tag is tethered to the fish using various anchoring methods [19,20,21,22,23]
Animal orientation Three fish spent a portion of their time (10–31 %) tilted at absolute pitch angles (y–z plane) greater than 10°, Relation to environmental variables Animal behavioural clusters and locomotory activity were assessed in relation to river temperature, depth of fish and ambient light recorded by the PSAT for three fish, and if the length of deployment permitted (>12 h), to tidal elevation recorded at 1 min intervals at the Saint John tidal gauge station 65, 45.251W 66.063N (Environment Canada)
Summary
External tagging of fish using pop-up satellite tags (PSATs) can cause trauma and stress associated with capture, handling, tagging injury and tag placement that impedes body function and mobility, and these can affect the behaviour of the fish. A major challenge in using PSAT accelerometers is the PSAT attachment that typically relies on a single-point attachment where the release mechanism located at the leading end of the tag is tethered to the fish using various anchoring methods [19,20,21,22,23] While this provides the Broell et al Anim Biotelemetry (2016) 4:11 most reliable tag release [14], it causes increased drag due to the large cross-sectional area [24] and acceleration measurements can be compromised due to the decoupling of animal movement from the fluttering movement of the tag. Observed behavioural changes have been related to the physiological and biochemical effects of exhaustive exercise associated with capture and handling [29, 30] along with blood acidosis and high blood lactate levels that have been reported for tuna, sharks, and billfish subjected to capture and handling [31, 33]
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