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mud. After collection, mussels are cleaned
up, counted, separated by species and sent to
Valentine Fish Hatchery (VFH) where they'll
grow for the next year.
As the newly produced mussels are placed
in baskets at the VFH, the previous year of
mussels are brought back from VFH to NPFH
for tagging. Each mussel is tagged with a
colored glue dot on each side of the bivalve
to distinguish between species. The glue dot
is also used to tell the difference between
hatchery and naturally produced mussels.
In addition to glue dots, approximately 10%
of the mussels will be tagged with passive
integrated transponder (PIT) tags to aid in
relocating mussels in the future after they
have been stocked at different sites. Stocking
sites are determined off historical data of
mussel species being present in the past and
NGPC staff accessibility to each creek or river.
Each stocking site will be stocked with a
predetermined number of mussels based off of
site success and number of mussels available.
With the continued stockings throughout
Nebraska, NGPC staff are hoping to give
mussels a fighting chance. 4
Tagging Plain Pocketbook mussels at the North Platte State Fish Hatchery. Tagging is the primary means to track
released mussels, allowing biologists and graduate students to evaluate growth, survival, longevity, and mussel
movements in the future. PIT (passive integrated transponder) tags are battery-free radio frequency identification
tags. These inert, glass-encased microchips are encoded with alphanumeric labels that identify specific mussels. The
tags are located and read with a hand reader that looks much like a metal detector. JULIE GEISER, NEBR ASK ALAND
Plain Pocketbook mussels during it's mating display. Fish bite at the
mussels lure and when that happens the mussel releases glochidia
onto the fish's gills. The fish becomes a host for the growing young
mussels. JULIE GEISER, NEBRASKALAND
