A Portable Electronarcosis System for Anesthetizing Salmonids and Other Fish

Abstract

The physiological responses of fish to continuous (nonpulsed) direct current were first described in the 1960s. One of these responses, electronarcosis (anesthesia, accompanied by muscle relaxation, through electrical inhibition), has been used in fisheries research and management as an anesthetic since the 1970s. We provide details on the assembly and operation of a portable electronarcosis unit for fish anesthesia and describe its performance with respect to two species of salmonids. The portability and effectiveness of this approach make electronarcosis a viable alternative to existing anesthetics that can be used for a number of applications.

Received June 8, 2010; accepted January 27, 2011

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We acknowledge personnel from Pacificorp and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for their assistance collecting bull trout. We acknowledge personnel of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Eagle Creek National Fish Hatchery and Columbia River Fisheries Program Office, for assistance conducting the electronarcosis research on coho salmon. We acknowledge all reviewers that provided comments improving the quality of this manuscript. The findings and conclusions in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.