Tagging Summary of American Shad, Alosa Sapidissima (Wilson) 

 and Striped Bass, Roccus Saxatilis (Walbaum), Bureau of 

 Commercial Fisheries Biological Laboratory, 

 Beaufort, N.C., 1950-65 



By 

 PAUL R. NICHOLS and RANDALL P. CHEEK, Fishery Biologists ( Research ) 



ABSTRACT 



Number and type of tags applied on American shad, Alosa sapidissima (Wilson), 

 and striped bass, Roccus saxatilis (Walbaun-i), in 1950-65, are summarized in 

 tables. A detailed description is given of each type of tag and how it was affixed to 

 the fish. The report also gives the purpose of each tagging study and the status of 

 reports on the findings. 



The Bureau of Commercial Fisheries has 

 used mark-and-recapture techniques widely 

 on aquatic animals to study movements, and 

 to estimate abundance, growth, and mortality 

 of exploited populations. This paper presents 

 a summary of tagging studies of American 

 shad, Alosa sapidissima (Wilson), and striped 

 bass, Roccus saxatilis (Walbaum), performed 

 by the Bureau's Biological Laboratory, Beau- 

 fort, N.C., and cooperating agencies, 1950-65. 

 These studies included tagging 40,093 striped 

 bass in 1955-65, and 27,042 American shad in 

 1950-65 (see fig. 1 for the types of tags used). 

 In addition, 70,000 young shad were marked by 

 fin clipping. 



The following information is presented in 

 tables 1-6: 



Number and type of tags applied --Number 

 and type of tags applied on two species in 

 different States and a detailed description of 

 each tag and how it was affixed to the fish. 



Locality and time of tagging --River or body 

 of water and month and year fish were col- 

 lected, tagged, and released. 



Collection gear -- Type of gears used to col- 

 lect fish for tagging. 



Size and age of fish tagged --Range of fork 

 length to nearest 0.1 inch, and age groups in 

 years of tagged fish released for each study. 



Nature of the study --Purpose of the tagging 

 and status of reports on the findings are given. 

 Published reports are cited, and preliminary 

 findings are given for unpublished reports. 

 Analyses of unpublished tagging data are in 

 progress and reports are to be published. 



This report will be useful to agencies in 

 the planning of tagging studies of these species, 

 especially in the development of proposed 

 research projects under Public Law 89-304 



(Anadromous Fish Program Act). Detailed 

 information on the tagging studies, such as 

 number of tags recovered, recovery loca- 

 tion, . . ., is available from the Bureau of 

 Commercial Fisheries Biological Laboratory, 

 Beaufort, N.C. 28516. 



FIGURE 1. --Types of tags that the Bureau of Commercial 

 Fisheries Biological Laboratory, Beaufort, N.C., used 

 to mark American shad and striped bass, 1950-65. 



