Craig Fusaro asked:

>1. Is electrofishing really effective in five to ten foot water depth?

Backback electrofishing at these depths is out of the question, since you'd
end up shocking yourself.  Electrofishers attached to boats can be costly
and I never felt very satisfied with the accuracy of the gathered data.
>
>2. Are the pulse voltage and current settings specified appropriate for
>these water depths?

Most electroshockers are equipped with a "beep" and the voltage and current
can be set according to the beep intervals.  We have found a relatively
rapid beeping sound to be most effective.  Your settings will differ from
place to place.
>
>3. Would mortalities reasonbly be expected under the regimen described
>above, and, if so, what could be expected in terms of percent deaths?
>
Electrofishing is the least destructive sampling method I have come across.
We typically have less than 1 percent mortality.  If you are using a
successive removal-depletion method, make sure you keep the captured fish
in as much water (in large open buckets), keep them out of the sun, and
return them ASAP.

Hope that helps!

Mike Podlech
Laboratory Coordinator
Institute of Chemical Biology
Harney Science Center, Rm. 344
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA 94117
U.S.A.
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(415) 422-2352