Long‐term retention of acoustic telemetry transmitters in temperate predators revealed by predation tags implanted in wild prey fish

Abstract

Bloater Coregonus hoyi ( n = 48) were implanted with V9DT‐2x predation transmitters and monitored on 105 acoustic receivers in eastern Lake Ontario for >6 months. Twenty‐three predation events were observed, with predator retention of tags ranging from ≤1 to ≥194 days and 30% of retentions lasting >150 days. Long tag retention times raise concerns for acoustic telemetry analysis and the health of piscivorous predators retaining tags.

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