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The potential use of PIT telemetry for identifying and tracking crayfish in their natural environment

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Abstract

A method for tracking crayfish and other benthic animals in rivers and streams, based on passive integrated transponder (PIT) technology, using a portable detector was investigated. The effect of implanting crayfish with PIT tags and the efficiency of the PIT tag detector system at locating tags is described. In a laboratory study 30 signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus (>33.7 mm carapace length) were internally implanted with PIT tags (12-mm long×2.1-mm diameter) and 30 crayfish matched for size and sex were kept as controls and maintained for 6 months. Tagging had no significant effect on survival, moulting or growth of crayfish, and tag retention was 100%. The reader unit consists of an antenna coil mounted on a pole and designed to be moved over the streambed to search for tagged crayfish. Efficiency testing indicated that more than 80% of tags were identified and located when hidden within different stream microhabitats.

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Bubb, D.H., Lucas, M.C., Thom, T.J. et al. The potential use of PIT telemetry for identifying and tracking crayfish in their natural environment. Hydrobiologia 483, 225–230 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021352217332

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021352217332

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