The Effects of Biotelemetry Transmitter Presence and Attachment Procedures on Fish Physiology and Behavior

Abstract

Biotelemetry—the process of conveying data from a transmitter-attached animal to a data collection site—has received increasing awareness from fisheries researchers. Prior to biotelemetry data collection, it is imperative that researchers are aware of and understand the possible effects that transmitter presence and attachment procedures may have on ‘normal’ fish behavior and physiology. To allow successful transmitter attachment, numerous methods to anesthetize the study fish, with varied impact and effectiveness, may be employed. Following anesthetization, three standard methods of transmitter attachment have been developed—external attachment, intragastric insertion, and surgical implantation. Although each method has advantages and disadvantages, their success largely depends on factors such as the species, environment, fish and transmitter size, and duration of the telemetry study. Additionally, each method of attachment can affect experimental fish physiology and behavior in varying ways. After describing each of the transmitter attachment procedures, we review the effects of transmitter presence and attachment procedure on fish physiology and behavior, with special focus on implications to aquaculture and fisheries related studies.