Publication Abstract

Tracking fish migration with electronic tags

J.D. Metcalfe and G.P. Arnold

Vertical migration is a key component of migratory behaviour, especially in shelf seas, where tidally synchronised vertical movements produce rapid long-distance migrations. Here we present new results for plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) obtained with electronic data storage tags, which record depth and temperature for many months. We show that geographical tracks can be reconstructed using the recorded vertical movements of the fish and a simple two-dimensional model of the tidal streams. We demonstrate that these reconstructions can be independently validated, using sea temperature, and/or tidal range and times of high or low tide recorded when the fish is on the sea bed. We confirm that selective tidal stream transport is a key mechanism for plaice migrating to and from spawning grounds in the eastern English Channel and we showthatthis tidally synchronised pattern of vertical movement is replaced by a diel pattern during spawning. We show that rates of plaice migration can be ten times faster than those derived from conventional mark-recapture experiments. We demonstrate for the first time that individual fish can visit more than one spawning area in rapid succession.

Reference:

J.D. Metcalfe and G.P. Arnold, 1997. Tracking fish migration with electronic tags. Nature, 12 June 1997