Deep 7 Bottomfish Tagging

The project began in June of 2007 throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago and then focused tagging efforts in the Main Hawaiian Islands from 2009 to present. In Addition the project expanded to Guam and Saipan in 2010. To date PIFG fishermen have placed 16,668 deep 7 bottomfish tags in the MHI, 304 tags in Guam and 86 tags off of Saipan.

A total of 246 tag recoveries of Deep 7 bottomfish have been reported. 243 Opakapaka, One Onaga, one ehu, one kalekale. The deepest depth a tagged bottomfish recovered was recoved from is 124 fathoms (744 feet deep). The second deepest tag recover from an ehu at 100 fathoms (600 feet deep). The recovery of fish from these depths, exemplifies PIFG’s tagging and proper handling of deep-water bottomfish for barotrauma and that the developed tagging procedures ensures fish can survive.

Another first was the recapture of a large tagged opakapaka by Glen Pestana. This opakapaka weighed 9.8 pounds and measured 26 inches (fork length measurement). It was originally tagged by Glenn Ashimine in March 2007 off of Penguin Banks. The Opakapaka was at liberty for 2,473 days (6.8 yeas), grew 13.25 inches and was recaptured approximately 5 miles from where it was tagged. But, who knows where else the opakapaka may have traveled during its liberty of 6.8 years.

Through a number of 10 tagged opakapaka recoveries the data has reconfirmed with earlier opakapaka tagging studies that the fish move between islands. Showing population connectivity in the Main Hawaiian Islands. So far, 4 fish have crossed from Penguin Banks to Oahu, 4 have transitted between Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe. Two have traveled between Maui and the Big Island (Hawaii). The single longest straight line tag opakapaka tag recovery has been from Maui to South Point on the Big Island Approximately 145 miles.

We would like to thank all of Hawaii’s bottom fishermen who have supported the PIFG Cooperative Fisheries Deep 7 bottomfish tagging project. If you or someone else recaptures a tagged bottomfish, please call PIFG at (808) 265-4962, send an email to Pacificfisheries@gmail.com, or submit in our tagging section (link).

Please have the following information available when contacting PIFG:

Date of capture, Tag number, Species of Fish, Fork length measurement, weight (optional), location, and your phone number so we can contact you with more information about your fish. For providing the information you will receive a recovery letter stating the days at liberty, growth, and travel information, along with a limited design bottomfish t-shirt.

A very special mahalo to fishermen Roy Morioka who donating his recaptured tagged opakapaka for research. The opakapaka will help provide scientist better age and determine when this species reaches sexual maturity.