Implantation Of Acoustic Transmitters Research Articles

Short-term effects of standard procedures associated with surgical transmitter implantation on a benthic shark species requiring anaesthesia

Surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters is a widely used method to study the movement ecology and eco-physiology of sharks. Nevertheless, the impact of surgical implantation on the behaviour of the target species is seldom separated from the capture stress. Pyjama catsharks (Poroderma africanum) is a small benthic shark species endemic to South Africa. For this species, tonic immobility is insufficient to achieve adequate sedation for surgical implantation of internal transmitters and a combination of tonic immobility and anaesthetic is needed. Therefore, behavioural responses to surgical implantation of internal transmitters were quantified in pyjama catsharks using tri-axial accelerometers in a controlled captive environment for a 24-h period after capture and a 24-h period after surgery. A 2-state hidden Markov model was developed to investigate the sharks’ activity patterns, as well as the related possible effects of the treatment type (capture vs surgery and surgery vs non surgery) and time of day. The results showed that the sharks which went through surgery (treatment group) spent significantly more time (58.7 % of their time) in a lower activity state, which we believe relates to higher stress levels, following surgery compared to following capture. Furthermore, sharks in the treatment group spent roughly 20 % more time in the lower activity state compared to the control group (without surgical implantation). These results could be related to the sedating effect of the anaesthetic, and/or suggest short-term behavioural stress response to the surgical implantation of transmitter, related to either biochemical stress or anatomical discomfort. Furthermore, the sharks changed their behavioural state more frequently in the three hours after the surgery and spent more time in a lower activity state. This emphasises the importance of allowing the sharks enough time to recover from the combination of anaesthesia and surgery before being released into the ocean.

Surgical Implantation of Acoustic Transmitters in Neolissochilus soroides and Channa lucius and Post-Surgical Wound Observation to Study Fish Telemetry

Telemetry is an emerging method to study fish ecology and a reliable tool that provides useful information for managing and conserving aquatic fauna and river habitats. However, the reliability of telemetry depends on several technical factors. Implantation of the acoustic transmitter is one of the major aspects that ensure the survivability of the animal subject when released into the wild. Studies on the technicalities involving telemetry methods are limited; therefore, this study investigated the surgical insertion of an acoustic transmitter into the peritoneal cavity of Channa lucius and Neolissochilus soroides or locally known as Bujuk and Tengas. A severity index was used to rate the appearance of surgical wounds observed on the day of release into the river. Fish mortality and complications such as bleeding were not observed in both species post-surgery. The progress and prognosis of wound healing of C. lucius were better compared to N. soroides, with generally lesser inflammation and more sutures shed. Despite visually severe inflammation on N. soroides on day-12 and day-19 post-surgery, there was a good indication that skin integuments were healing. This data suggests that C. lucius has faster wound healing abilities compared to N. soroides. All fishes implanted with the acoustic telemetry method survived up to 244 days upon release into the Tembat River, Hulu Terengganu, Malaysia, and retained the tag throughout the tracking period.

Sutureless Implantation of Acoustic Transmitters in Rainbow Trout Exceeding 2% Tag-to-Body Ratio

Sutureless Implantation of Acoustic Transmitters in Rainbow Trout Exceeding 2% Tag-to-Body Ratio

Short-term survival of lake whitefish following surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters using chemical anesthesia and electroimmobilization

Short-term survival of lake whitefish following surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters using chemical anesthesia and electroimmobilization

Novel Surgical Technique for Acoustic Transmitter Insertion in Rainbow Trout Reduces the Need for Surgical Training

The implantation of acoustic transmitters into the peritoneal cavity of fish is typically performed by experienced surgeons. This study compared the effectiveness of an experienced and inexperienced surgeon performing two different types of transmitter insertion techniques on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The methods used were either a traditional sutured ventral incision or a novel unsutured lateral incision. There was no significant difference in surgical duration, tag retention, or fish survival between the experienced and naive surgeon. The time to complete surgical wound closure was not significantly different between the fish operated on by an experienced or naive surgeon, and surgeon experience had no significant effect on the duration of inflammation. However, there were significant differences between the two surgical techniques, regardless of surgeon experience. The ventral incision with sutures method took approximately three times longer to complete than the lateral incision-only method. However, complete wound closure was significantly faster in the sutured ventral incision treatment compared to the unsutured lateral treatment. Post-surgery inflammation was over seven times longer in the fish with sutures compared to those only receiving a lateral incision. Tag retention was not significantly different between the two surgical methods. The results of this study indicate that the unsutured lateral surgical technique used in this experiment can be completed with minimal training and surgical experience in contrast to the standard technique requiring sutures. These results also provide additional support to the use of sutureless surgical techniques for acoustic transmitter implantation.

A comparison of cyanoacrylate to sutures for wound closure following acoustic transmitter insertion in rainbow trout

Tag retention, wound healing, wound closure, and tagged fish survival are critically important after surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters in fish. This study compared the use of sutures to cyanoacrylate adhesives and bandages for post-surgery wound closure. Adult rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss were assigned to one of seven treatments: a control group where fish were only handled, two suture groups (tagged with dummy acoustic transmitters or non-tagged), and four cyanoacrylate adhesive groups (non-tagged, tagged with adipose fin applied as a biological bandage, tagged with anal fin applied, and non-tagged with water-proof bandage). Tag retention was significantly improved in adhesive with anal fin (89%) and tagged suture (78%) treatments when compared to only 11% tag retention in the adhesive with adipose fin treatment. Wound redness severity increased over the 14 weeks of the study in the tagged and sutured fish, and in those receiving the waterproof bandage. Wound redness severity was also significantly higher in the waterproof bandage and tagged and sutured treatments than both tagged adhesive treatments at the end of the study. Wound gape was significantly more severe in the adhesive with adipose treatment than in the control, suture, tagged suture, and adhesive treatments, but no significant differences were observed between the adhesive with adipose treatment and the adhesive with anal fin or bandage treatments. Wound gape never completely closed in the adhesive with adipose group, while both the tagged suture treatment and tagged adhesive with anal treatment wounds completely closed between four- and six-weeks post-surgery. The results of this study indicate that cyanoacrylate adhesive used in conjunction with anal fin tissue is a suitable post-surgical treatment.

Impact of the surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters on the condition and health of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca (L.))

Abstract The aim of the study was to determine the impact the surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters (AT; implantation incisions were sutured with tissue adhesive) had on the condition and health of pikeperch, Sander lucioperca (L.), (initial body weight of approximately 600 g). After tagging, the fish were held for 42 days in recirculating aquaculture systems. During this period, no negative effects were observed stemming from the implantation of AT on fish growth, condition, survival, or foraging effectiveness. The procedure also did not have a negative impact on hematological indicators. Among the 13 biochemical blood plasma indicators analyzed, only glucose level in the fish tagged with AT was significantly lower than that in the control group (P≤0.05). The rate of wound healing and the condition of the implantation incisions raised no concerns. Three weeks following the AT implantation procedure the incisions were closed and no infection was noted. Short-term AT retention (42 days) was 83.3%, and the fish shed the tags in the first two weeks following implantation.

A Description of a Noninvasive Surgical Training Pathway Using Translational Tools to Teach Intracoelomic Implantation of Acoustic Transmitters in Fish.

Researchers engaged in surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters into fish must receive adequate and appropriate training to ensure the welfare of their subjects and the quality of the data collected. Increasingly, researchers are being encouraged to partner with veterinarians to improve training and to consider the principles of animal welfare in training. Here, we describe a five-stage training pathway, including implementation of new training tools (the Translational Training Tools and field certification), that was developed collaboratively by researchers and veterinarians and addresses the "three Rs" of animal welfare in the context of surgical training. The three Rs include animal replacement, reduction of the number of animals used, and refinement of techniques to decrease or eliminate pain or distress. The Translational Training Tools, described in the context of the training pathway, use tools as replacement models during training to reduce the number of animals used and allow for refinement of surgical skills prior to working on live animals. The purpose of this paper is to document the Translational Training Tools and the training pathway, which will be useful in developing de novo protocols for review by Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees and similar bodies.

Effects of acoustic tag implantation on lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens: lack of evidence for changes in behavior

An assumption of studies using acoustic telemetry is that surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters or tags does not alter behavior of tagged individuals. Evaluating the validity of this assumption can be difficult for large fish, such as adult sturgeons, not amenable to controlled laboratory experimentation. The purpose of this study was to determine if and when this assumption was valid for adult lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens tagged with large (34 g) acoustic transmitters and released into the St. Clair River during 2011–2014. The hypothesis that activity and reach-scale distributions of tagged and untagged lake sturgeon did not differ was tested by comparing movement frequencies, movement rates (speed-over-ground), and location-specific detection probabilities between newly-tagged lake sturgeon and presumably fully-recovered conspecifics tagged and released in prior years. Activity of acoustic-tagged lake sturgeon did not differ between newly-tagged individuals and conspecifics tagged in prior years. Movement frequencies and movement rates in all comparisons were similar between lake sturgeon observed during the first 15 days after surgery and simultaneously-observed conspecifics tagged in prior years. Likewise, lake sturgeon observed during the first 15 days after release were not more likely than conspecifics tagged in prior years to be distributed upstream or downstream of release sites. However, newly-tagged lake sturgeon were more likely than conspecifics tagged in prior years to be detected near release areas. Whether the cause for this ephemeral difference in detection probabilities was a behavioral response to surgery or a consequence of releasing newly-tagged individuals near receivers could not be determined. Lack of evidence for changes in movement frequencies, movement rates, and distribution after surgical implantation of acoustic tags supported the assumption that movements of acoustic-tagged adult lake sturgeon were representative of untagged conspecifics. Thus, detection data gathered from recently tagged individuals is unlikely to bias data analyses in studies of lake sturgeon spatial ecology using telemetry. Our findings should apply to most tag sizes given that we used some of the largest acoustic tags currently available. The “staggered entry” design used in this study also may be useful for testing fundamental assumptions of biotelemetry studies for other large fish.

Effects of surgically implanted tags and translocation on the movements of common bream Abramis brama (L.)

Data collected from wildlife telemetry studies relies on tagging and attachment having minimal impacts on behaviour. Though a widespread technique, relatively few studies evaluate the impacts of differing tagging methods on both welfare and behaviour. Here we use tracking data, collected for other aims, to investigate the impact of inter-peritoneal surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters on the health and behaviour of common bream, Abramis brama (L.). In five separate capture events, the behaviour in terms of distances moved and linear range of newly tagged fish (n=61) were compared to previously tagged fish (n=55) present in the same river at the same time. In the first 5 days post-tagging, newly tagged fish moved significantly further than previously tagged fish. Despite this difference, the linear ranges moved by the two groups of fish were equivalent. During 6–10 days post tagging there was no significant differences between the two groups. Thus, the tagging procedure had short term, but not long term behavioural impacts. In addition, a number of tagged fish were recaptured between 51 and 461 days post-surgery. Recaptured fish appeared to have clean, well-healed incisions and exhibited ‘normal’ behaviour in that they were caught alongside a large number of conspecifics. Three recaptured tagged fish were translocated ∼35km downstream, to ascertain how translocation would affect their behaviour. The translocated fish had a greater linear range than control fish, with all three fish returning to the site of capture within 6 to 24 days, suggesting that common bream can exhibit site fidelity.

Optimal Suturing Technique and Number of Sutures for Surgical Implantation of Acoustic Transmitters in Juvenile Salmonids

AbstractThe size reduction of acoustic transmitters has led to a reduction in the length of the incision needed to implant a transmitter. Smaller suture knot profiles and fewer sutures may be adequate for closing an incision used to surgically implant an acoustic transmitter. As a result, faster surgery times and reduced tissue trauma could lead to increased survival and decreased infection for implanted fish. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of five suturing techniques on mortality, tag and suture retention, incision openness, ulceration, and redness in juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha implanted with acoustic transmitters. Suturing was performed by three surgeons, and study fish were held at two water temperatures (12°C and 17°C). Mortality was low and tag retention was high for all treatments on all examination days (7, 14, 21, and 28 d postsurgery). Because there was variation by surgeon in suture retention among treatments, further analyses included only the one surgeon who received feedback training in all suturing techniques. Incision openness and tissue redness did not differ among treatments. The only difference observed among treatments was in tissue ulceration. Incisions closed with a horizontal mattress pattern had more ulcerations than did other treatments among fish held for 28 d at 17°C. Results from this study suggest that one simple interrupted 1 × 1 × 1 × 1 suture is adequate for closing incisions on fish under most circumstances. However, in dynamic environments, two simple interrupted 1 × 1 × 1 × 1 sutures should provide adequate incision closure. Reducing bias in survival and behavior tagging studies is important when making comparisons with the migrating salmon population. Therefore, by minimizing the effects of tagging on juvenile salmon (reduced tissue trauma and reduced surgery time) researchers can more accurately estimate survival and behavior.

An Evaluation of the Maximum Tag Burden for Implantation of Acoustic Transmitters in Juvenile Chinook Salmon

AbstractA substantial percentage of the Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. and steelhead O. mykiss smolts that emigrate to the ocean each year are smaller than 110 mm (fork length). However, relatively few researchers have implanted acoustic transmitters in fish of this size, and none have reported minimum fish lengths below 110 mm for which the tag burden did not negatively influence growth or survival. The influence of a surgically implanted acoustic microtransmitter and a passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag on the growth and survival of hatchery‐reared juvenile Chinook salmon was examined over a period of 30 d. Growth and survival were compared between treatment (tagged) and control (untagged) fish within three size‐groups (80–89, 90–99, and 100–109 mm). The acoustic microtransmitter and PIT tag implanted in our study had a combined weight of 0.74 g; the combined tag burden for implanted fish ranged from 4.5% to 15.7%. The results indicated that growth and survival among implanted juvenile Chinook salmon were size dependent. Significant differences in growth rate and survival were observed between treatment and control fish in the 80–89‐mm group. The survival of implanted fish smaller than 11.1 g (tag burden, >6.7%) and the growth of fish smaller than 9.0 g (tag burden, >8.2%) were negatively affected by the implantation or presence of an acoustic microtransmitter and PIT tag. The results of this study will aid researchers in determining the minimum fish size suitable for use in acoustic telemetry studies that estimate the short‐term (30‐d) survival and growth of juvenile salmonids.

Long-term effects and recovery from surgical implantation of dummy transmitters in two marine fishes

We surgically implanted black sea bass and summer flounder with dummy transmitters and monitored recovery, survival, and growth during an 11-month post-operative period. We also examined transmitter retention rates as neither species had been previously implanted with transmitters. Recovery time from surgery and anesthesia was significantly greater than recovery time from anesthesia alone for black sea bass, but this relation was not observed for summer flounder. Summer flounder recovery times were highly variable, but in general, smaller fish had longer recovery times. All black sea bass and summer flounder retained their surgically implanted transmitter at least 11 months and had high survival rates in laboratory trials (black sea bass survival, 97.9%; summer flounder survival, 94.6%). Nonparametric analyses of covariance using initial size as the covariate indicated that black sea bass exhibited no significant detrimental growth effects after 11 months, but significantly slower growth was observed for summer flounder (this was especially pronounced in the larger [> 800 g] fish). Surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters in these species can be used to conduct long-term field studies of habitat use and movements because fish exhibited high survival rates and 100% retention of transmitters.

In Situ Tagging and Tracking of Coral Reef Fishes from the Aquarius Undersea Laboratory

We surgically implanted coded-acoustic transmitters in a total of 46 coral reef fish during a saturation mission to the Aquarius Undersea Laboratory in August 2002. Aquarius is located within the Conch Reef Research Only Area, a no-take marine reserve in the northern Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Over the course of 10 days, with daily bottom times of 7 hrs, saturation diving operations allowed us to collect, surgically tag, release, and subsequently track fishes entirely in situ. Fish were collected using baited traps deployed adjacent to the reef as well as nets manipulated on the bottom by divers. Surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters was conducted at a mobile surgical station that was moved to different sites across the reef. Each fish was revived from anesthetic and released as divers swam the fish about the reef. Short-term tracking of tagged fish was conducted by saturation divers, while long-term fish movement was recorded by a series of acoustic receivers deployed on the seafloor. Though not designed as an explicit comparison with surface tagging operations, the benefits of working entirely in situ were apparent.

Effects of Acoustic Transmitters on Swimming Performance and Predator Avoidance of Juvenile Chinook Salmon

The objective of this study was to determine whether juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha are negatively influenced by the intraperitoneal implantation of acoustic transmitters. We evaluated swimming performance and predator avoidance of juvenile salmonids implanted with acoustic transmitters that weighed up to 6.7% of the fish's body weight in air. Critical swimming speeds (Ucrit) of tagged, sham-tagged (surgery but no tag), and control fish were measured in a respirometer to determine tag effects on swimming performance. Swimming performance was similar among treatment groups at 1-d and 21-d postsurgery intervals. Predator avoidance of fish implanted with active tags was evaluated to determine whether tagged fish were impaired by the operation of the tags or predators were attracted to the signals emitted from the tags. Predator avoidance was evaluated by comparing the proportion of each treatment group consumed (active tag, inactive tag, sham, and control) during exposure to piscivorous adult rainbow trout O. mykiss. Surgical implantation of acoustic tags in juvenile fall Chinook salmon did not significantly affect swimming performance. Implantation of acoustic transmitters (active and inactive) did not result in greater predation susceptibility in tagged fish than in untagged fish.

Swimming Performance and Growth Rates of Juvenile Atlantic Cod Intraperitoneally Implanted with Dummy Acoustic Transmitters

Short-term and long-term effects of intraperitoneal implantation of dummy acoustic transmitters (1.9–4.6% of the fishes' body weight) in wild juvenile Atlantic cod Gadus morhua were investigated. Short-term effects were examined by comparing critical swimming speeds 24 h after surgery for implanted, sham-implanted, and control groups using a Blazka-style swim tube. Additionally, comparative growth rates, mortality, and tag expulsion by cod in the same three groups were determined during a 220-d period. Critical swimming speed performance between treatments was found to be nonsignificant between groups, suggesting that tagged juvenile cod are capable of similar physical performance to that of untagged cod when released 24 h after surgery. During the long-term study, no significant difference in growth between groups, no increase in mortality associated with the tagging procedure, and no incidents of transmitter expulsion occurred. This study suggests that intraperitoneal implantation of acoustic transmitters can be a valid tagging technique to examine the behavior of juvenile Atlantic cod in both short-term and long-term studies.

Application of heart rate transmitters in behaviour studies on Atlantic halibut ( Hippoglossus hippoglossus)

Implantation of acoustic transmitters in three specimens of Atlantic halibut ( Hippoglossus hippoglossus) was performed, and the surgical procedure is described. Acceptable transmittance of heart rate signals was dependent upon attachment of both tag electrodes in the pericardial wall close to the heart muscle. Strong muscular action during burst swimming and the capture and swallowing of food severely interfered with transmitted heart signals. The heart rate of one male halibut kept in a large tank with 50 other halibuts was recorded continuously for 4 months. A gradual decrease in pulse rate coinciding with a seasonal reduction in water temperature, day length and appetite was observed. A diurnal variation in heart rate was also detected. The fish showed little or no response in heart rate to certain farming procedures such as formalin treatment against parasites or cleaning of the tank. Bradycardia followed by increased heart rate after close interactions with larger fish was noticed in the first part of the recording period.