Influence of fish backbone model geometrical features on the numerical target strength of swimbladdered fish

The method of fundamental solutions has been applied to evaluate the influence of fish models geometrical features on the target strength (TS) directivity and TS frequency response of swimbladdered fish. Simplified models were considered for two fish species: gilt-head sea bream (Sparus aurata, Linnaeus 1758) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, Linnaeus 1758), and different geometrical details of their morphology were studied, such as backbone presence, and its curvature or the inclusion of vertebrae modulation. Swimbladder shape and tilt, together with the inclusion of backbone (and its realistic curvature) for dorsal measurements were the most important features for proper estimation of mean TS. The estimation of mean TS is considered including the effect of fish tilt, the echosounder frequency, and the fish-to-transducer distance.