Retention of plastic-tipped dart tags in African tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus. Issue 3 (13th October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jacobs, FJ; Weyl, OLF; Libala, NS; O'Brien, GC; Downs, CT
• Is Part Of: African journal of aquatic science. Volume 42:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 299
• Page End: 301
• Publication Date: 2017-10-13
• Subjects: capture-mark-recapture -- freshwater -- tagging -- tag retention -- Namibia; Aquatic sciences -- Periodicals; Aquatic ecology -- Africa -- Periodicals; Aquatic resources conservation -- Africa -- Periodicals; Water -- Pollution -- Africa -- Periodicals; 577.609605
• DOI: 10.2989/16085914.2017.1392283
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1608-5914

Abstract

Abstract : Estimates of tag retention and tagging-related mortality are essential for mark-recapture experiments. Mortality and tag loss were estimated from 15 tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus marked using Hallmark model PDL plastic-tipped dart tags released into a 1 730 m 2 pond at Kamutjonga Inland Fisheries Institute, Namibia, and inspected bi-monthly for the presence or absence of tags. No mortality was observed during the experiment. All marked fish had lost their tags after 10 months and 50% tag loss was estimated at 3.9 months. The high tag loss rate indicates that PDL plastic-tipped dart tags are not suitable for long-term studies on this species.