TAGGED FISH
Travels !!!
Take a look at this amazing record of its travels !!
Last month we published this pic of Allen Botha with his winning fish at the Fynnlands competition .
Well it turns out that |
this fish – they call it a |
Leervis - was tagged with |
an acoustic transmitter |
and tracked by the South |
African |
Institute |
for |
Aquatic |
Biodiversity |
– |
SAIAB . |
|
|
It was tagged on 10 January 2017 in the Breede Estuary ( 890 mm FL ) in the Western Cape .
Soon after being released , it was detected on a marine receiver ( offshore of Breede Estuary mouth - 14 Jan 2017 ). It then moved to Mossel Bay , being detected on two offshore receivers ( CSB002 and CSB003 ) on 08 June 2017 . It then cruised to Plettenberg Bay , being detected on two receivers ( PLB003 and PLB004 ) on 10 and 11 June 2017 .
It was detected in Algoa Bay 11 days later on a receiver moored at 60m depth on 22 June 2017 . It then started its rapid migration to KZN ( where they spawn ). Eight days later it was detected on the Durban Harbour receiver ( 01 July 2017 ) and then disappeared for four months , probably while undertaking its southward migration back to Cape waters .
It popped up again in Mossel Bay and was recorded on the Seal Island receiver on 14 Nov 2017 and Darwin Reef receiver on 20 Nov 2017 . It then moved back to Plett again , being detected on three receivers ( PLB001 ,
PLB003 and PLB004 ) between 29 Nov and 11 Dec 2017 .
It popped its head back into Mossel Bay on 12 Dec 2017 ( Mitch Reef receiver ) before turning around and heading back to Plett , where it was detected from 13 to 15 Dec 2017 . It ventured back to Mossel Bay where it was detected from 23 Dec 2017 to 17 Feb 2018 on various receivers ( GB001 - GB003 , MB001 - MB004 ). It was last detected on MB001 at 23h24 on 17 Feb 2018 .
Since it was recaptured in Durban on 9 July 2018 ( 545 days after being tagged ), it must have made a second spawning migration to KZN . Although we don ’ t have any records of this migration there are many receivers that still need to be downloaded . Therefore , I am sure we will get more data on this fish in due course .
For more information about the work SAIAB do : www . saiab . ac . za / atap . htm Or follow them on Facebook ATAP-tracking fish movements