Research

Tagging

Archival tag | Acoustic Tag | Conventional tag | PAT tag | Satellite tag

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Conventional tags are the most commonly used tag and have been applied to hundreds of thousands of fish and sharks worldwide. Many different types of conventional tags have been designed for different species. They consist of a simple plastic or nylon tag attached to a small arrowhead that sits under the skin.

The tag has a unique number and a contact address. The tagging details (including date and location of release, size of animal) are kept on a database. When a tagged animal is captured, the date, location of capture and size of the animal are recorded. This gives a point-to-point measure of the animals movement and an estimate of growth. Sometimes, small Teflon plates are attached to these tags so that animals can be identified without the need for recapture.

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Last updated 12/11/08