Method for tagging fish for identification
First Claim
1. A method for tagging a fish for identification, said fish having a naturally occurring region of at least partially transparent tissue and an outer surface bounding said region, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a tag having detectable markings forming an identification code; and
implanting said tag shallowly within said region of at least partially transparent tissue, proximately to said outer surface bounding said region, so that said tag is substantially completely embedded in said tissue and is visible through said tissue and said surface.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In the identification of fish, tags having on at least one side visually detectable markings encoding information pertaining to a fish are shallowly implanted within transparent or semi-transparent tissues of respective specimens. Upon release and subsequent capture of the fish specimens, the locations of the tags are optically determined by a visual inspection of the fish. The information is retrieved from the tags by either reading the information from the implanted tags through the transparent or semi-transparent tissue or excising the tags and thereupon reading the information. In either case, the specimens are not significantly harmed or injured by virtue of the implantation and reading operations. The implanted tags also have a minimum effect on survival and other biological traits and behavior.
28 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for tagging a fish for identification, said fish having a naturally occurring region of at least partially transparent tissue and an outer surface bounding said region, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a tag having detectable markings forming an identification code; and implanting said tag shallowly within said region of at least partially transparent tissue, proximately to said outer surface bounding said region, so that said tag is substantially completely embedded in said tissue and is visible through said tissue and said surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for identifying a fish, said fish having a naturally occurring region of at least partially transparent tissue and an outer surface bounding said region. said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a tag having detectable markings forming an identification code; implanting said tag shallowly within said region of at least partially transparent tissue, proximately to said outer surface bounding said region, so that said tag is substantially completely embedded in said tissue and is visible through said tissue and said surface; releasing said fish into a body of water; subsequently capturing said fish; optically detecting said tag through said tissue and said surface; removing said tag from said fish in such a manner as to avoid impairing life functions of said fish; and reading said detectable markings upon removal of said tag from said fish to determine information included in said identification code. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A method for tagging a fish for identification, said fish having a naturally occurring region of at least partially transparent tissue and an outer surface bounding said region, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a tag having on one side thereof visually detectable markings forming an identification code; and implanting said tag shallowly within said region of at least partially transparent tissue, proximately to said outer surface bounding region, so that said tag is substantially completely embedded in said tissue and so that said visually detectable markings face said surface so as to be visible through said tissue and said surface.
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25. A method for identifying a fish, said fish having a naturally occurring region of at least partially transparent tissue and an outer surface bounding said region, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a tag having on one side thereof visually detectable markings forming an identification code; implanting said tag shallowly within said region of at least partially transparent tissue, proximately to said outer surface bounding said region, so that said tag is substantially completely embedded in said tissue and so that said visually detectable markings face said surface so as to be visible through said tissue and said surface; releasing said fish into a body of water; subsequently capturing said fish; and optically reading said visually detectable markings through said tissue and said surface to determine information included in said identification code. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. The method for identifying a fish, said fish having a naturally occurring region of at least partially transparent tissue and an outer surface bounding said region, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a tag having on one side thereof visually detectable markings forming an identification code; implanting said tag shallowly within said region of at least partially transparent tissue, proximately to said outer surface bounding said region, so that said tag is substantially completely embedded in said tissue and so that said visually detectable markings face said surface so as to be visible through said tissue and said surface; releasing said fish into a body of water; subsequently capturing said fish; and optically reading said visually detectable markings through said tissue and said surface without removing said tag from said tissue.
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Specification