In situ target-strength measurement of young hairtail (Trichiurus haumela) in the Yellow Sea

Abstract

Abstract The target strength of hairtail (Trichiurus haumela) in the Yellow Sea was measured in situ with a 38 kHz, split-beam echosounder on 2 January 2001. The fish measured were of the 2000 year class, its anal length ranged from 62 to 115 mm, with a mean of 89.8 mm. The mean target strength of these young hairtail was estimated to be −49.2 dB, with a 95% confidence interval of (−49.4, −49.0) dB. This provided a rare and useful reference for the acoustic-abundance estimation of hairtail.