Sometimes we go in search of reproducers through the electro-fishing. This happens, for example, in the side courses of the Volturno where it is not possible to anchor fixed capture stations due to the high risk of floods. During these activities we go both in search of marked specimens and specimens to tag, in order to reconstruct the migration paths within the project area.

In the video you can see the capture, artificial reproduction and marking of a couple of large Volturno trout that were climbing together a lateral stream of the Matese. The male was already marked (and therefore genetically analyzed): since it was found to be very suitable for reproduction, we decided to exploit the possibility of using its fresh semen to fertilize the female’s eggs on the spot.

This operation rarely happens, usually our fertilizations take place with cryopreserved semen, but we couldn’t miss this opportunity!