Fish Surgery, Telemetry and Transmitter Encapsulation

Pictured above is an EMG transmitter implanted in the peritoneal cavity of a 35 cm smallmouth bass to examine physical output during fishway use. 


We are professional fish surgeons and have developed, tested and published multiple descriptions of surgical procedures for implantation of biotelemetry transmitters, electrodes, and vascular flow probes in freshwater and marine fish species.  We have invented custom surgical tools for specific research applications, and examined effects of various surgical techniques, wound-closure, and infection control methodologies relevant to fisheries research.

Surgical Techniques Video - radio transmitter implantation into an anesthetized white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) - 2008

TRANSMITTER IMPLANTATION/ATTACHMENT AND ENCAPSULATION

Cycleptus elongatus - Blue Sucker - Texas, USA

    Xyrauchen texanus - Razorback Sucker - Nevada, USA

     

Healed razorback sucker implanted by Biotactic in 2008 with 3 year ultrasonic transmitter - Arizona USA (Photo courtesy Bio-West Inc. 2011)

        
Lepisosteus oculatus - Spotted Gar - Ontario, Canada: Powertool-assisted external tagging

Ultrasonic transmitter implantation into the peritoneal cavity of a coral trout (Plectropomus leopardus - Coral Trout - Queensland, Australia), and subsequent encapsulation of transmitter after 2.5 months.

Above:  Radio transmitter encapsulation in the body cavity of a smallmouth bass after 22 months

 

The following list of fish species have been successfully tagged with biotelemetry, radio-telemetry and sonic telemetry transmitters and/or sensors for various international projects by Biotactic:

White Sucker, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Northern Hog Sucker, Blue Sucker, Razorback Sucker, Northern Pike, Greater Redhorse, Shorthead Redhorse, Walleye, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Coral Trout, Rainbow trout, Rock Bass, Pumpkinseed, Bluegill, Black Crappie, American Eel, Sea Lamprey, Spotted Gar, Atlantic Salmon

Click HERE FOR DESCRIPTIONS OF TELEMETRY STUDIES

Click HERE FOR REFERENCES TO TELEMETRY STUDIES

SELECTED REFERENCES

Bunt, C.M., S.J. Cooke, J.F. Schreer and D.P. Philipp. 2004. Effects of incremental increases in silt load on the cardiovascular performance of riverine and lacustrine rock bass, Ambloplites rupestris.  Environmental Pollution 128:437-444.

Cooke, S. J., C.M. Bunt, J.F. Schreer and D.P. Philipp. 2002. Attachment, validation, and preliminary deployment of ultrasonic heart rate transmitters on largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, Aquatic Living Resources. 15: 155-162.

Cooke, S.J. and C.M. Bunt. 2001. Assessment of internal and external antenna configurations of radio transmitters implanted in smallmouth bass. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 21: 236-241.

Bunt, C.M. 1999. A tool to facilitate implantation of electrodes for electromyographic telemetry experiments. Journal of Fish Biology. 55: 1123-1128.