Juvenile native fish and sedative data from a laboratory and field experiment

These data were compiled for a study evaluating if rare or endangered fishes (e.g., Humpback Chub and Bonytail) can be transported in a shipping bag with 1-L of water and minimal sedative into remote locations. There were two components (laboratory trials and a field trial) of the study conducted in 2014 and 2017. Laboratory trials were conducted at the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Flagstaff, Arizona to evaluate three sedatives: AquaCalm, Tricaine-S, or Aqui-S 20E. Pilot trials were conducted with five fish (Bonytail) placed in a bag, where induction/recovery times, level of sedation, and fate after release were monitored for fish exposed to a sedative. Fish density increased to 20 fish (Bonytail and Humpback Chub) per shipping bag once sedative doses were refined. For high density (n=20 fish per bag) trials, two doses of each sedative were selected to evaluate. Variables monitored in the high-density trials were level of sedation, fate of fish at release, and fate of fish 24 hours after release. For each sedative dose, three shipping bags were prepared and opened at 4-h intervals until a 12-h period was reached. Control replicates (i.e., shipping bags containing fish and no sedative) were conducted for all densities (n=5 or n=20 fish per bag) of fish and also opened at 4-h intervals until a 12-h period was reached. From laboratory trials, the most effective (i.e., minimal mortality, and light sedation) sedative and dose were then selected for the field component of the study, where 240 Humpback Chub (n=20 fish per bag; 6 shipping bags treated with 0.1 mL/L of Aqui-S 20E and 6 shipping bags without sedative) were hiked into the Little Colorado River, Arizona.