The Cooperative Yellowtail Flounder Tagging Project is collecting scale samples from flounder tagged with a specially marked tag.  These scale collection tags are found on the underside of the fish and appear either orange or pink in color. Please collect scales from the area shown below and send to:

Cooperative Yellowtail Tagging Project
166 Water St.,
Woods Hole, MA 02543

The top side of these fish will have either a pink lottery tag or a lime green reward tag; scales should be taken (see the diagram shown below) and sent to us with the tags and recapture details.

The objective of our scale collection program is to verify the ageing keys used in the yellowtail flounder stock assessments.  We collect scales at the time of release and compare them to those collected at recapture.  The growth rings (annuli) on both sets of scales are counted to determine the fish's age and these are then compared to the amount of time the fish was at liberty.  By examining the calculated ages (based on the scales) and the known time at large, we can ensure that our scale ageing techniques are valid and representative of the fish found within the three stock areas.

Cooperative Tagging