The Frequency and Length Dependence of the Target Strength of the Largehead Hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) in Korean Waters

The largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) is one of the most common fisheries stocks in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. The species is caught using a variety of fishing tools, such as a stow net or a long line, as well as jigging and trawling. Scientific investigations have been conducted throughout the world to enable evidence-based estimations for the management and protection of the main fisheries biomass. For example, inshore and offshore hydro acoustic surveys are performed annually using bottom- and mid-water trawls around the Korean Peninsula. However, to date, no acoustic survey has been conducted to estimate fish size distribution, which is necessary to construct a data bank of target strength (TS) relative to fish species, length (L), and frequency. This study describes the frequency and length dependence of TS among fishes in Korean waters for the purpose of constructing such a TS data bank. TS measurements of the largehead hairtail were carried out in a water tank (L 5 m×width 6 m×height 5 m) at frequencies of 50, 75, 120, and 200 kHz, using a tethering method. The average TS patterns were measured as a function of tilt angle, ranging from -45° (head down) to +45° (head up) every 0.2°. The length conversion constant (b20) was estimated under the assumption that TS is proportional to the square of the length. In addition, in situ TS measurements on live largehead hairtails were performed using a split beam echo sounder.