Movements of a bream (Abramis brama (L.)), rudd x bream hybrid, tench (Tinca tinca (L.)) and pike (Esox lucius (L.)) in an Irish canal habitat

Radio telemetry was used to monitor the movement of four species of coarse fish in a 11.2 km long section of canal from January to June 1996. One specimen of bream, rudd × bream hybrid, tench and pike were captured using electrofishing apparatus and Lotek CFRT-3EMXT pulse coded aquatic transmitter tags, operating at 173.3 Mhz (with individual ID codes), were sutured externally. The movements of the four radio tagged fish were monitored approximately every four days during the course of the study. The results of the study indicated that all four species did migrate to and from specific locations along the canal. These movements are discussed in terms of home range behaviour for each of the species.