Use of Acoustics in Studies of Fish Reaction to Imposed Stimuli

Abstract

The general distribution pattern of fish in a large pen is described through essentially simultaneous measurements of the integrated echo intensity in each of six separate cells using transducers mounted below the pen. The reaction of fish to various stimuli imposed in one of the cells is quantified by the change in frequency distribution of the echo intensity relative to the undisturbed situation. The experiment was part of a small-scale test of equipment to be used for observations of the attraction-effect of fish to oil-rig structures. The method seems to be suitable both for general fish behaviour studies, including attraction and avoidance effect, and for monitoring feeding systems in aquaculture based on fish conditioning.

Keywords

• Acoustic transducers
• fish
• biocontrol
• behavioural sciences