Movements of hatchery-reared lingcod released on rocky reefs in Puget Sound

Fourteen sub-adult hatchery-reared lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) were released onto reefs in South Puget Sound, Washington, USA to evaluate their movement behavior. Acoustic telemetry revealed variation in movement among individuals that was related to body size. Larger lingcod tended to leave the release reef sooner than smaller lingcod. Four lingcod left the reefs less than 10 days after release, while three lingcod left between one and 4 months after release. Seven lingcod remained at the release reefs for the entire 5-month study, though they did make apparent short-term (< 24 h duration) excursions away from the reefs. Data suggest that the frequency and duration of excursions increase with age and size in both wild and hatchery lingcod. Movement data from these hatchery lingcod and previously published studies on wild lingcod are compared.