Development and testing of a pedigree‐marking system using visible implant elastomer tags for selective improvement in Morone breeding programmes

The development and testing of a visible implant elastomer pedigree‐marking system was evaluated in sunshine bass, Morone chrysops×Morone saxatilis, and white bass, M. chrysops (Rafinesque). These tags were tested in sunshine bass fingerlings at one of four subdermal body locations (posterior to the eye, dorsal fin musculature, caudal fin musculature or anal fin musculature). Tag visibility decreased with increased sunshine bass growth (63% after 56 days). Visibility differed among body locations, with the caudal and anal tagging locations having lower visibility. White bass fingerlings representing eight genetic groups were then tagged at one of two body locations (left or right subdermal along the dorsal musculature) using one of four fluorescent colours and reared for 42 days in a common garden growth trial. Tag visibility in white bass was 99.5% at 14 days, 98.2% at 28 days and 94.9% at 42 days after tagging. There was a significant change in weight among the eight genetic groups of white bass fingerlings after 42 days (P=0.03). Testing of this pedigree tagging system successfully identified phenotypically different groups of white bass fingerlings.