From the Department of Primary Industries

January 13, 2005

THE TRAVELS OF 'NUMBER 5' - A LAKE EILDON GOLDEN PERCH

A golden perch known as 'Number 5' has had his fair share of ups and downs during the past two years.

To monitor the broadscale movement of stocked golden perch in Lake Eildon, researchers from the Department of Primary Industries’ research arm PIRVic, at Snobs Creek, implanted battery powered acoustic tags into several golden perch before releasing the fish back into the lake.

Project leader, John Douglas, said his team captured the perch, that came to be known as 'Number 5', in Goughs Bay, in September 2002 and subsequently released him in the Delatite Arm.

"We traced 'Number 5' in the Delatite Arm of Lake Eildon for a few months after release, he then disappeared for three weeks until an angler caught him in late November 2002, back in Goughs Bay," Mr Douglas said.

"The angler put 'Number 5' in his live-well and had not noticed the dart tag protruding from the fish's shoulder until later in the day, by which time he was fishing in the Big River Arm of the lake."

"He released the fish in the Big River Arm and later called PIRVic to report the capture."

The research team confirmed the angler's report by finding 'Number 5' in the Big River Arm soon after, however the fish didn't stay there long and couldn't be found on return visits.

"Knowing that 'Number 5' had exhibited 'homing' behaviour once before, we re-focussed the search effort and found him again, back near Goughs Bay, in January 2003."

"However 'Number 5' was soon on the move again, disappearing from Goughs Bay after January 2003 and peacefully going about his fishy business for another 21 months."

'Number 5' re-appeared in October 2004 when he was captured by researchers undertaking trout research in Woolshed Bay. Interestingly, he was captured along with a school of other large golden perch.

"In all, 'Number 5' had been caught 3 times, once by an angler and twice by researchers. He had travelled back to the Goughs Bay area twice, once from the Delatite Arm and a second time from the Big River Arm," Mr Douglas said.

Researchers have completed the fieldwork component (tracking) of this project and the movements of 'Number 5' and other tagged perch, will be included in a full report.

END