Attachment, validation, and preliminary deployment of ultrasonic heart rate transmitters on largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides

Implementation, validation and first implementation of ultrasonic cardiac transmitters in Micropterus salmoides largemouth bass. Although many studies report the use of transmitters for telemetry of heart rate ( f C) in fish, few studies provide sufficient detail to allow rapid implementation of this technique. We detail here a method of marking, a procedure of validation, and the implementation of a ultrasonic transmitter f C commercially available. For this study, we used Micropterus salmoides , because of the ability of this species to modulate its cardiac output by regulating the rhythm of these heart beats (f C). Thirteen individuals were equipped with a backpack harness, with the battery and transmitter on either side of the dorsal fin. The electrodes are placed ventro-laterally near the pericardial cavity. The use of Doppler probes made it possible to verify that the ultrasound emission of the transmitter corresponded to the ventricular contraction (QRS wave). The heart rate of the paired animals was recorded for periods up to 32 days, thus generating one of the most complete time series currently available. We present here these preliminary data which illustrate the information obtained, at different temporal resolutions (in real time, hourly averages), as well as the relations between fC and temperature, behavior and or daily activity cycle.