Visibility and short-term tag retention rate of visible implant fluorescent elastomer (VIE) marking material in blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus

Fish tagging technology is an important part of fisheries research because of its value in monitoring and managing fish populations. Tagging studies are particularly needed on blue catfish, a species in danger of being overexploited in Missouri because of its popularity among fishermen. The purpose of this study was to determine short-term tag retention (270 d) and tag visibility of VIE in fingerling blue catfish, as well as their physical responses to tagging, such as post-tagging mortality and infection. VIE was injected into one of three body locations, including the upper lip, in the cheek, and the base of the pelvic fin, in sixty advanced fingerling blue catfish. Twenty additional fish served as the control. Results show that short-term tag retention rate after 270 days was high overall, but VIE exhibited tendencies to fragment or migrate. Visibility was best for fish tagged in the cheek. Mortality and infection rates over the post-tagging period were low. Overall, the cheek showed to be the best location for tagging fingerling blue catfish with VIE.