spinydogfish.org - Description of Tags

	Single Barb Dart Tags These are Floy tags with a white plastic tip bearing a single barb to hold the tag in the muscle of the fish. The oldest versions are known as Floy FT-1 tags. They appear as hollow tubes and bear a return address. Newer models are known as Floy FT-94 sinlge barb dart tags. These have shrink tubing, and may or may not have a twisted stainless steel wire embedded within the shrink tubing. All of these are applied with a sharply-pointed hollow stainless steel tube or applicator, also known as a “canula”. Bright Orange, long -- 4.75 inches. Bears the return address, “DMF Box 769, Morehead City, NC/Reward RR XXXXX” (the 5-digit tag number). No $ reward amount given. (These were originally used on striped bass and American shad, but some may have been put on spiny dogfish).
	Bright Orange, short – 3 inches. Bears the return address, “Reward ICMR ECU Greenville, NC 27858 XXXXX”. No $ reward amount given. (These also were used on striped bass, and a few American shad). “Burnt” Orange or Rust Color, long – 4.75 inches, with internal twisted stainless steel wire. Bears the return address, “RARXXXX $___ Reward. Return to Dogfish Study, Biology Dept., ECU, Greenville, NC 27858”. (Dogfish only). Bright Yellow, long – 4.75 inches, with internal twisted stainless steel wire. Bears the return address, “RARXXXX $___ Reward. Return to Dogfish Study, Biology Dept., ECU, Greenville, NC 27858”. (Dogfish only). T-Bar Anchor Tags Floy T-bar anchor tags are hollow tubes attached to the fish with a solid plastic connector, resembling thick white monofilament, with a “T” end piece that is embedded in the muscle of the fish. These are applied with a tagging gun. Yellow, tube length 2.75 inches. Bears the return address, “Reward NER MRHD City NC B XXXXX (5-digit tag number).
	VEMCO Acoustic Transmitter Tags "V16 - 4H" Beginning in January 2008, spiny dogfish tagged by East Carolina University researchers will have new types of tags. These include acoustic transmitter tags that are surgically implanted in the gut cavity of the dogfish. These dogfish will be double marked with 2 single barb dart floy tags through the dorsal fin. Acoustic transmitters send a signal that can be picked up by receiving units placed in strategic places or towed behind a boat. Therefore, real time habitat selection data is available to us; critical to understanding how dogfish respond to fluctuating environmental conditions.
	Alpha Mach Archival Tags "WeeTags" Also beginning in winter of 2008, spiny dogfish tagged by East Carolina University researchers will also place "WeeTags" just behind the dorsal fin of some spiny dogfish. These tags record temperature and depth parameters of the habitats selected by the dogfish. The battery life on these tags is considerable - 2 or more years! We are depending on YOU to help us retrieve this data, as the tags do not communicate with receivers or satellites. Instead fish must be recaptured, and the tags returned to us to be read by a computer program specially designed to interact with these tags.