STUDIES ON THE STRIPED BASS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST 



35 



between the discs and the sides of the fish. If more space was left to allow for growth, 

 sores were created where the edges of the discs rubbed against the body, and weeds 

 were more likely to catch on the tags and cause added irritation. Moreover, since 

 there have been only a few recaptures of fish marked by this method more than a year 

 after the date of release — the longest recovery of a tag of this type was from a fish 

 that was tagged September 7, 1936, in the Niantic River, Conn., and recovered May 

 2, 1938, in the Hudson River, off Nyack, N. Y. — there is little point in allowing for 

 much growth. In an attempt to preclude any possibility of chafing, both flat and 

 saucer-shaped discs were used. The flat discs showed far less tendency to cause 

 irritation and to pick up weeds and debris, and were in general more satisfactory, 

 although there is some evidence from recaptures in the summer of 1938 that the 

 saucer-shaped discs stay on longer. Two types of pins were used for attaching 



: 



8653 



I) 



(■•■urn lo Slot* ecvl ot runcnet \ 



one come, mo< Hord . conn J 



Figure 25.— Sketches to illustrate the external disc and internal belly lag methods ol marking striped bass. 



the external tags. Those tried with the first 500 bass were stainless steel insect phis. 

 There was abundant evidence in the early work from the subsequent recapture of fish 

 that still showed a scar in the area where they had been tagged with this type of phi, 

 but had lost the tag, that these pins were not adequate in salt water. Not only did 

 they become brittle and fragile after a short time (no fish marked by means of this 

 pin was recaptured more than 2 months after its release), but their slender shafts 

 showed a distinct tendency to cut through the flesh, thus allowing more room for the 

 movement of the tags and causing sores. All these difncultues were fairly well obvi- 

 ated by the use of heavier noncorrosive nickel pins. The nickel pins were made of 

 No. 20 B. & S. pure nickel wire. The diameter of the head of each pin was not less 

 than 0.080 inch in diameter. The pins were ordered in two lengths, 1% and 1% 

 inches, for use in tagging different sizes of striped bass. These pins never showed any 

 tendency to corrode in salt water. 



