At 13:20 07/08/97 -0700, you wrote:
>Is anyone aware of any published studies in which fin erosion (not fin
>clipping) has been used to differentiate wild and hatchery salmonids in
>the field?  i.e., use of fin erosion of hatchery-reared fish as a mark?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Al Zale
>Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit
>[log in to unmask]
>
Dear Al, I don't know any particular paper on that topic but I can tell you
for sure that we quit regularily catch or see sturgeon Acipenser baeri in
the field in France where this species normaly exist only for aquaculture
purpose. Almost all the fish caught showed fin erosion or fin abnormally
shaped. They also showed on the tip of the snout a sort of ball caused by
the farming condition. Only for 3 specimen that were in the river for more
than 3 years and that didn't showed any particular features of farming,
every other Acipenser baeri caught were easy to determine.

Thats all the 5 cents contribution I can tell you.

Mario

***********************************************************
Mario Lepage, biologiste
ASSOCIATION GIRONDINE POUR
L'EXPERIMENTATION ET DE DEVELOPPEMENT
DES RESSOURCES AQUATIQUES (AGEDRA)

50 av. de Verdun, B.P. 53
33612 CESTAS cedex
FRANCE

Tel: (33)  05 57.89.08.10
Fax: (33) 05 57.89.08.01
e-mail: [log in to unmask]

************************************************************