Performance of Commercially Available Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) Tag Systems Used for Fish Identification and Interjurisdictional Fisheries Management

Passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag systems are commonly used in identification and monitoring programs with fisheries applications. Transponders of different frequencies, sizes, and code formats are available from numerous manufacturers, and there is increasing concern regarding the need to coordinate tagging efforts with appropriate equipment. Given the high cost of PIT tag systems and the adverse management implications of using incompatible equipment, we evaluated the performance of 20 transponder models and 11 transceiver models currently used in the United States. Compatibility among transceivers ranged from 14% to 81% when evaluated with the 20 transponders in this study. The maximum read distance across all tags and tag readers averaged 9.5 cm (range, 2.0–31.3 cm), and there were significant differences among reader and tag type combinations. Both transponder size and frequency significantly affected the maximum read distance, but transceiver model choice appeared to allow for the greatest practical increase in read distance. These results should assist resource managers with decisions regarding the coordination of tagging efforts that use PIT tag systems, particularly those involving long-lived or interjurisdictional species.