Fish tagging methods

1. Presented by :
Narsingh Kashyap
B.F.Sc. 4th year
College of Fisheries
Kawardha,(C.G.)

2. Content
Introduction
Tagging materials
Types of tags
Tags content
Tagging centre in India
Significance
Reference

3. Introduction
Tagging is a process of attaching foreign
objects bearing a number or code to the body
of the fish to make them identifiable.
Tagging is a very essential techniques for any
fisheries biologist.
Tagging method provide population estimation,
fish growth, Migration pattern ,Natural
mortality of fish.

4. Tagging Materials
Tag are made up of different materials such as
Platinum, silver, Aluminum, Nickel, Plastic,
celluloid etc
Among all these materials platinum and silver
provide good results, but it is so expensive ,
celluloid are most used because its very cheap
durable and easy to print the information.

5. TYPES OF TAGGING
There are two type of Tags –
1. Internal method
2. External method
1.) Internal method- A metal or plastic coded
material will be inserted inside the body and the
inserted material can be identified by x-ray
method, or by radioactive method or by magnetic
principle or observation.

6. Types of internal tag-
 Body Cavity Tags
 Coded Wire Tags
 Subcutaneous Tags
 Passive Integrated Transponder Tags (PIT)

7. Body Cavity Tags
A device is inserted completely into the body
cavity through a small incision. All information
is printed on the Tag, which is typically made of
plastic.

8. Coded wire Tags
A small piece of wire injected into a fish using
small application or by hand.
These tag can be placed in the snout, Necks,
Caudal fins, and any other muscular area. The
tag can be detected with a sensitive metal
detector or X-ray.

9. Subcutaneous Tags
Inexpensive plastic discs imprinted with serial
numbers, are planted in between the outer layer of
skin and muscles ,by a small incision.

10. Passive integrated transponder tags
Glass encased electronic transponder tags are
inserted into the peritoneal cavity of fish.
Each tag has an individuals code , which can be
read by a battery- power reader held close to
fish.

11. External Tags
The Tag are fixed on the surface of the body in
the dorsal fin area or head region or in jaw area.
Various types of external tags are available in the
market.
 Fin clipping
 Strap Tags
 Anchor Tags
 Peterson Tags
 Spaghetti Tags
 Fingerling Tags
 Jaw Tags

12. Fin Clipping
 The pectoral or pelvic fin was clipped at the
base, while the upper or lower caudal fin lobe
was removed using a pair of scissors.

13. Strap Tags
This Tag is a flat metal strip. The tag was
adapted from a cattle ear tag and first used on
salmon in Alaska. The tag may be attached to the
gill cover, to the lower jaw or to the top of tail
fin .

14. Anchor Tags
Applicable for long-term studies on migration on
adult migratory species.

15. Peterson Tags
The Tag consists of two celluloid or plastic
discs, about one-half inch in diameter, attached
with a pin or wire to some part of the fish.
The tag can be attached to the gill covers through
the back muscles, or through the fleshy part of
the tail.

16. Conti…
(Source CMFRI 1966 BULLETIN NO. 17 )
Diameter of outer disc ….. 9 mm
Thickness of discs ……… 0.8 mm

17. Spaghetti Tags
A loop of vinyl tubing that passes through the fish.
Information is printed directly on the tubing.

18. Conti…
(SOURCE – CMFRI 1966 BULLETIN NO. 17, )
Length of strip … 18 mm
Width of strip … 3 mm
Thickness of strip … 0.8 mm

19. Fingerling tags
Small numbered plastic tags of different colours
are attached to a thread and which is passed
through the body above lateral line , upper of
caudal peduncle or through muscles at base of
dorsal fin rays and tied over the top of fish.

20. Jaw Tags
Jaw tags are metal bonds that attach around part
of the jaw of the fish. Jaw tag are for larger fish
and may affect the growth of a smaller fish.

21. Acoustic tags
 Acoustic means that instrument or equipment
working principle is on sound wave
propagation
 In Acoustic tag which selected PIT tag,
Transducer fixed in that PIT tag.
PIT Transducer emits some signal, which is
received by receiver.
Ex- GPS tags, Micro tags etc.

22. FIG.- Micro TAG

23. Information to be printed on tags
 Organization name
 Organization address
 Phone number
 Tag Number

24. Release information
 Species
 Location of tag release
 Date of tag release
 Length
 Weight

25. Main TAGGING CENTRES in India
The tagging centers were Karwar,
Mangalore, Cannanore, Calicut, Cochin
and Vizhinjam on the west coast and
Mandapam and Waltair on the east coast
of India.

26. Tag fishes in India
 Mostly tagging fish in India are Tuna, Sardine
,Ancovey, Mackerel, Eel, & Hilsa Etc.
 On the 27th Dec. 2013 a female whale shark was
tagged successfully by shark conservation team in
sutrapada, near coast of Gujarat.
(source wildlife trust of India)
 For the first time in India, selective breeding was
carried out to genetically improve one of Rohu.
Under the program a range of selective breeding
techniques , individual identification by PIT tags.
(source CIFA Proc. Assoc. Advmt. Anim. Breed. Genet. 17: 37-40)

27.  During 1967-68 season, 14185 oil sardine were
tagged and released in Karwar, Mangalore &
4122 mackerel be tagged and released during 1967-
68 in Karwar, Cannanore, Cochin , the Tag use are
PIT Tags.
(source CMFRI 1970, Bulletin no. 17)

28. Significance
 For better understanding of movement &
migration pattern.
 To discriminate between the mixed stock.
 To estimate natural mortality, fish growth,
length weight relationship, population size.

29. Conclusion
 Tagging is very important role play in
understanding growth, Behavior of fish,
Migration pattern , Natural mortality, Length
weight relationship etc.
 Tagging is very important role play on
Fisheries management.

30. Reference
 Prabhu M. S. & Venkataraman G., 1970,
Mackerel, and Oil Sardine Tagging Programme,
CMFRI Bulletin no. 17.
http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/mod/page/vie
w.php?id=38871
 Mahapatra Das K., Saha N J., Sarangi N,.Jana K
R. ,Gjerde B. January 2001 Genetic improvement
and Dissemination of Rohu, CIFA ( page no. 37-
40), volume-17

31.  Basavaraju, Y., Renuka devi B. S., Mukthayakka, G.,
Purushotham Reddy, L., Mair, G.,C., Roderick, E.E.,
Penman, D.,J., Dec.1998, Evaluation of marking and
tagging methods for genetic studies in carp, journal bio
science, Volume 23.
 McFarlane G. A., 1990, department of fisheries
and oceans. Biology science , branch pacific
science station. Columbia CANADA. External
tags and marks, American fishery society
symposium.