Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The veterinarian’s role in surgical implantation of electronic tags in fish

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The current role of veterinarians participating in the intracoelomic surgical implantation of electronic tags in fisheries research projects with researchers is limited, but could be expanded. Veterinary training is broadly applicable to conducting surgeries on any species, and there are increasing numbers of veterinarians with fish-specific experience. A few of the roles veterinarians can play include advising on surgical instrument selection and acquisition, interfacing with Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees, devising strategies for anesthesia, providing direction on disinfection and sterilization, complying with regulatory requirements, providing individualized surgery instruction, and occasionally performing field surgeries. Veterinarians and fish researchers bring different strengths and deficits to bear in a fish surgery project, and it is helpful to recognize these for successful collaborations. Engaging veterinary consultation for electronic tag implantation surgeries in fish can be a mutually beneficial experience for the researcher and the veterinarian, with dividends in data quality and welfare of the research subjects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson ET, Davis AS, Law M, Lewbart GA, Christian LS, Harms CA (2010) Gross and histologic evaluation of 5 suture materials in the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the California sea hare (Aplysia californica). J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 49:64–68

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bock F (1928) Kastration und sekundäre geschlectsmerkmale be teleostiern. Z Wiss Zool Abt A 130:455–468

    Google Scholar 

  • Borski RJ, Hodson RG (2003) Fish research and the institutional animal care and use committee. ILAR J 44:286–294

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown L (1993) Aquaculture for veterinarians: fish husbandry and medicine. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 447 pp

  • Carmichael GJ (1991) Recovery of channel catfish from abdominal surgery. Prog Fish-Cult 53:193–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooke SJ, Wagner GN (2004) Training, experience and opinions of researchers who use surgical techniques to implant telemetry devices into fish. Fisheries 29:10–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooke SJ, Graeb BDS, Suski CD, Ostrand KG (2003) Effects of suture material on incision healing, growth and survival of juvenile largemouth bass implanted with miniature radio transmitters: case study of a novice and experienced fish surgeon. J Fish Biol 62:1366–1380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Divers SJ, Boone SS, Hoover JJ, Boysen KA, Killgore KJ, Murphy CE, George SG, Camus AC (2009) Field endoscopy for identifying gender, reproductive stage and gonadal anomalies in free-ranging sturgeon (Scaphyirhynchus) from the lower Mississippi River. J Appl Ichthyol 25(Suppl 2):68–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Food and Drug Administration (2007) Guidance for industry: concerns related to the use of clove oil as an anesthetic for fish. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Rockville, MD, April 24, 2007.http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforcement/GuidanceforIndustry/UCM052520.pdf Accessed 26 March 2010

  • Goswami SV, Sundararaj BI (1968) Compensatory hypertrophy of the remaining ovary after unilateral ovariectomy at various phases of the reproductive cycle of catfish Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch). Gen Comp Endocrinol 11:401–413

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gratzek JB (1992) Aquariology: the science of fish health management. Tetra Press, Morris Plains, NJ, 330 pp

  • Hanley CS, Clyde VL, Wallace RS, Paul-Murphy J, Patterson TA, Keuler NS, Sladky KK (2010) Effects of anesthesia and surgery on serial blood gas values and lactate concentrations in yellow perch (Perca flavescens), walleye pike (Sander vitreus), and koi (Cyprinus carpio). J Am Vet Med Assoc 236:1104–1108

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harms CA (1999) Anesthesia in fish. In: Fowler ME, Miller RE (eds) Zoo and wild animal medicine: current therapy 4. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 158–163

    Google Scholar 

  • Harms CA (2003) Fish. In: Fowler ME, Miller RE (eds) Zoo and wild animal medicine, 5th edn. Saunders, St. Louis, pp 2–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Harms CA (2005) Surgery in fish research: common procedures and postoperative care. Lab Anim 34:28–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harms CA, Bakal RS, Khoo LH, Spaulding KA, Lewbart GA (1995) Microsurgical excision of an abdominal mass in a gourami. J Am Vet Med Assoc 207:1215–1217

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harms CA, Lewbart GA, Swanson CR, Kishimori JM, Boylan SM (2005) Behavioral and clinical pathology changes in koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) subjected to anesthesia and surgery with and without intra-operative analgesics. Comp Med 55:221–226

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hart LG, Summerfelt RC (1975) Surgical procedures for implanting ultrasonic transmitters into flathead catfish (Polydictis olivaris). Tran Amer Fish Soc 104:56–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartman KH, Yanong RPE, Harms CA, Lewbart GA (2006) The future of training for aquatic animal health veterinarians. J Vet Med Educ 33:389–393

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hernandez-Divers SJ, Bakal RS, Hickson BH, Rawlings CA, Wilson GH, Radlinsky M, Hernandez-Divers SM, Dover SR (2004) Endoscopic sex determination and gonadal manipulation in Gulf of Mexico sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi). J Zoo Wildl Med 35:459–470

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hurty CA, Brazik DC, Law JM, Sakamoto K, Lewbart GA (2002) Evaluation of the tissue reactions in the skin and body wall of koi (Cyprinus carpio) to 5 suture materials. Vet Rec 151:324–328

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jepsen N, Koed A, Thorstad EB, Baras E (2002) Surgical implantation of telemetry transmitters in fish: how much have we learned? Hydrobiologica 483:239–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keene JL, Noakes DLG, Moccia RD, Soto CG (1998) The efficacy of clove oil as an anaesthetic for rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum). Aquacult Res 29:89–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewbart GA, Stone EA, Love NE (1995) Pneumocystectomy in a Midas cichlid. J Am Vet Med Assoc 207:319–321

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lewbart GA, Spodnick G, Barlow N, Love NE, Geoly F, Bakal RS (1998) Surgical removal of an undifferentiated abdominal sarcoma from a koi carp (Cyprinus carpio). Vet Rec 143:556–558

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mulcahy DM (2003) Surgical implantation of transmitters into fish. ILAR J 44:295–306

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Neifer DL (2007) Boney fish (lungfish, sturgeon, and teleosts). In: West G, Heard D, Caulkett N (eds) Zoo animal and wildlife immobilization and anesthesia. Blackwell, Ames, pp 159–196

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Neiffer DL, Stamper MA (2009) Fish sedation, anesthesia, analgesia, and euthanasia: considerations, methods, and types of drugs. ILAR J 50:343–360

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nickum JG, Bart HL, Bowser PR, Greer IE, Hubbs C, Jenkins JA, MacMillan JR, Rachlin JW, Rose JD, Sorensen PW, Tomasso JR (2004) Guidelines for the use of fishes in research. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, 57 pp

  • Noga EJ (1996) Fish disease: diagnosis and treatment. Mosby, St. Louis, p 367

    Google Scholar 

  • Noga EJ (2010) Fish disease: diagnosis and treatment, 2nd ed. Wiley-Blackwell, Ames, 519 pp

  • Posner LP (2009) Fish pain and distress: a review of the evidence. ILAR J 50:327–328

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts HE (2010) Fundamentals of ornamental fish health. Wiley-Blackwell, Ames, 229 pp

  • Rose JD (2002) The neurobehavioral nature of fishes and the question of awareness and pain. Rev Fish Sci 10:1–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith SA, Noll LE (2009) Testing the waters: IACUC issues associated with fish. ILAR J 50:397–401

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sneddon LU (2003) The evidence for pain in fish: the use of morphine as an analgesic. Appl Anim Behav Series 83:153–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stamper MA (2007) Elasmobranchs (sharks, rays, and skates). In: West G, Heard D, Caulkett N (eds) Zoo animal and wildlife immobilization and anesthesia. Blackwell, Ames, pp 197–203

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stamper MA, Norton T (2002) Ovariectomy in a brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). J Zoo Wildl Med 33:172–175

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stoskopf MK (1993a) Fish medicine. WB Saunders, New York, 882 pp

  • Stoskopf MK (1993b) Surgery. In: Stoskopf MK (ed) Fish medicine. WB Saunders, New York, pp 91–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoskopf MK (1994) Pain and analgesia in birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Invest Ophth Vis Sci 35:775–780

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stoskopf MK (2001) Fish models in biomedical research: introduction. ILAR J 42:271–273

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoskopf MK (2006) Current perspectives on curriculum needs in zoological medicine. J Vet Med Educ 33:331–337

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stoskopf MK, Paul-Murphy J, Kennedy-Stoskopf S, Kaufman G (2001) American College of Zoological Medicine recommendations on veterinary curricula. J Am Vet Med Assoc 219:1532–1535

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Summerfelt RC, Smith LS (1990) Anesthesia, surgery, and related techniques. In: Schreck CB, Moyle PB (eds) Methods for fish biology. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, pp 213–272

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner GN, Cooke SJ (2005) Methodological approaches and opinions of researchers involved in the surgical implantation of telemetry transmitters in fish. J Aquat Anim Health 17:160–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner GN, Stevens ED, Byrne P (2000) Effects of suture material and patterns on surgical wound healing in rainbow trout. Trans Amer Fish Soc 129:1196–1205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ward J, McCartney S, Chinnadurai S, Posner L (2009) Use of tricaine methanesulfonate (MS222) in a model of minimum anesthetic concentration determination in goldfish (Carassius auratus). Proc Int Assoc Aquat Anim Med 40:22

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber ES (2010) Geriatric veterinary care for fish patients. Vet Clin N Am: Exot Anim Pract 13:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss C, Weber ES, Matzkin Z, Klide A (2002) Surgical removal of a seminoma from a black sea bass. J Am Vet Med Assoc 221:280–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wildgoose WH (2001) BSAVA Manual of ornamental fish, 2nd ed. British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, UK, 304 pp

  • Wise JK, Shepherd AJ (2004) Employment and age of male and female AVMA members, 2003. J Am Vet Med Assoc 255:876–877

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank the faculty, graduate students and other investigators with whom we have consulted on electronic tag implantation over the years, Michael Stoskopf for his sage mentorship in fish medicine and surgery, and the helpful and stimulating comments from three anonymous reviewers.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Marine Sciences and Technology and Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 303 College Circle, Morehead City, NC, 28557, USA

    Craig A. Harms

  2. Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA

    Gregory A. Lewbart

Authors
  1. Craig A. Harms
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gregory A. Lewbart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Craig A. Harms.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Harms, C.A., Lewbart, G.A. The veterinarian’s role in surgical implantation of electronic tags in fish. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 21, 25–33 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-010-9185-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-010-9185-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation