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Implicit in biotelemetry studies is the assumption that transmitter attachment does not affect fish behavior or performance. We conducted experiments to determine effects of external, surgical, and stomach tag attachments on the swimming performance and behavior of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) and white perch (Morone americana). Only one rainbow trout changed dominance rank after dummy tag attachment. Subordinate fish had significantly lower weights than subdominant and dominant fish, but there were no significant differences in exhaustion times. Externally tagged trout had significantly lower exhaustion times than other tagged groups and controls. There was no significant difference in exhaustion times among tagged white perch and controls. Externally and surgically tagged perch contracted serious fungal infections during a 45-d survival study; however, few disease and no survival problems among tagged and untagged rainbow trout were noted up to 21 d. With all factors taken into account, it appears that stomach tagging is the best method of transmitter attachment, except when regurgitation and/or stomach atrophy are likely to be encountered.
Mellas et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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