RECORD OF VISIBLE IMPLANT ALPHA TAG LOSS IN THE CATFISH Rhamdioglanis transfasciatus (SILURIFORMES: HEPTATERIDAE) INHABITING AN ATLANTIC FOREST STREAM

Visible implant alpha tag loss in a Neotropical heptapterid

Abstract

We report the number of recaptured individuals and the loss of visible implant alpha tags in the Neotropical catfish Rhamdioglanis transfasciatus during a mark-recapture study conducted in Atlantic Forest streams, Brazil. We recaptured 1.8% and 29% of the marked individuals in the rainy and dry seasons, respectively. The lowest number of recaptured labels occurred in the rainy, warm season, which could be attributed both to higher movement events of individuals outside the monitored area or because the inflammatory reaction that leads to tag loss, which is favored in warmer conditions. These findings highlight the need to improve the application of VI Alpha tags, whether through refining tagging protocols and materials, so as to enhance tracking accuracy and minimize resource loss in ecological studies.