Hicks, Brendan J.Jones, Mark Hedleyde Villiers, Josh E.Ling, NicholasCollier, Kevin J.Grainger, Natasha P.J.2017-08-2820152017-08-282015Hicks, B. J., Jones, M. H., de Villiers, J. E., & Ling, N. (2015). Use of electrofishing for capturing invasive fish. In K. J. Collier & N. P. J. Grainger (Eds.), New Zealand Invasive Fish Management Handbook (pp. 72–79). Hamilton, New Zealand: Lake Ecosystem Restoration New Zealand (LERNZ) & Department of Conservation.978-0-473-33071-2https://hdl.handle.net/10289/11289Electrofishing is the use of electricity to capture fish. The response of fish to pulsed direct current (DC) occurs in five phases, as shown in Figure 4.5. Electrotaxis occurs as a result of the electrical effect on fish muscles that contract with each electrical pulse, rather than its effect on the central nervous system. Each pulse of electrical current in a pulsed DC field causes the fish’s body to flex; it then relaxes between each of the pulses. This flexing and straightening action accentuates the involuntary swimming towards the anode (galvanotaxis). Pulsed DC causes tetany and narcosis at a much lower voltage gradient than continuous DC, so this is the preferred current delivery (Brousseau et al. 2005). Because invasive fish species inhabit a wide variety of non-wadeable habitats, this chapter will focus on boat electrofishing.application/pdfen© 2015 LERNZ (The University of Waikato) and Department of ConservationChapter in Book