Reference | Krouse, J. S. and G. E. Nutting. 1990. Evaluation of coded microwire tags inserted in legs of small juvenile American lobsters. American Fisheries Society Symposium 7:304-310. |
Abstract | We conducted laboratory experiments and field studies to evaluate the suitability of coded microwire tags for mark-recapture studies of juvenile American lobsters Homarus americanus. In laboratory tests, microwire tags were implanted in the propodus of the walking legs of 99 small lobsters (12-22 mm carapace length [CL]). This site was selected so the tag of a recaptured lobster could be easily and safely excised from the amputated leg tip for subsequent decoding. In three tests, tag retention ranged from 52 to 86% after the first molt. Among animals that started the next cycle with tags, 62-100% retained tags through the second molt; of these, 88-100% kept tags through the third molt. Tag loss was greater for smaller lobsters and inversely related to the time elapsed between tag application and ecdysis. Tagged and control (untagged) lobsters had similar growth increments, frequencies of molt, and survival. Of 603 lobsters (12-24 m CL) tagged and released in the wild from 1985 through 1987, 72 (12%) were recaptured, of which 30 had molted. Ten recaptured lobsters at large for at least 1 year were estimated to have undergone an average of 3.4 molts. Results indicate that microwire tagging, with perhaps some slight modifications to improve tag retention, is a convenient and efficient means of labeling small juvenile lobsters for studies of growth and movement. |
Tag | Coded Wire Tag (CWT) |
Objective | Evaluate tags |