Detection and Longevity of Uncured and Cured Visible Implant Elastomer Tags in Larval Pacific Lampreys

Studies of the biology, ecology. and status of the Pacific lamprey Lampetra tridentata may require effective means of tagging larval Pacific lampreys. However. few assessments of the methods suitable for tagging larval Pacific lampreys have been conducted. We evaluated the performance of visible implant elastomer (VIE) tags in larval Pacific lampreys. specifically testing the effects of elastomer treatment (uncured versus cured VIE) and inspection light source (ambient light versus blue light-emitting diode [LED] flashlight.) on tag detection in 40 larvae. Through day 25 1 after tagging. tag detection was 100% for both uncured and cured VIE tags observed under ambient light and blue LED light. Longevity of uncured VIE tags was assessed in a second cohort of 32 VIE-tagged larval Pacific lampreys over a 2-year captive rearing period. Percent VIE tag detection was 91% for red tags, 90% for orange tags. and 64% for green tags through day 699 after tagging. This Study affirms that both uncured and Cured VIE tags can be effectively used to tag larval Pacific lampreys. Tagging with uncured VIE is a convenient and economical alternative to cured VIE tagging, particularly when tagging over protracted periods or small sample sizes.