Omni-Akuatika, 14 (1): 36–43, 2018

ISSN: 1858-3873 print / 2476-9347 online

Research Article

journal homepage: http://ojs.omniakuatika.net

Seahorse Acoustic Reflection on Active and Passive Moving Condition: A preliminary

Observation in Watertank

12* 3 3 3 4
Dony Apdillah , Indra Jaya , Henry Munandar Manik , Totok Hestirianoto , Try Febrianto
1
Post Graduate School of Marine Technology, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia
2
Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries - Raja Ali Haji Maritime University,
Tanjungpinang, Indonesia
3
Department of Marine Science and Technology, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia
4
Marine and Coastal Resource Research Center, Raja Ali Haji Maritime University, Tanjungpinang, Indonesia
*
Corresponding author : donyapdillah@umrah.ac.id
Received 2 November 2017; Accepted 14 January 2018; Available online 21 May 2018

ABSTRACT
Identification and estimation of seahorse (Hippocampus sp.) population in the marine environment are
difficult to obtain. Nowadays, the observations use visual techniques, biology and statistics. Bio-statistics
approach has some limitations. An approach was required to provide more accurate information,
comprehensive, and based on telemetry (underwater acoustic). Acoustic reflection is important information
to observe underwater objects that can be used for stock assessment and behavioral studies. This
research is a preliminary observation and measurement of seahorse Target Strength (TS). The results
show that there are differences in TS value of seahorse at the active and passive moving condition. The
fluctuations of TS values in active conditions are higher than those in passive conditions. This study has
also found that the average TS value of seahorse in active moving conditions is -54.49 dB (± 3 dB). It is
greater than the mean TS value in passive moving conditions -59.64 dB (± 3 dB). The approach of
immobile fish (the passive moving condition) is better to increase the correlation value between TS to size.
The relationship between TS and the size of the seahorse are discussed in the results of this study.

Keywords : Seahorse, acoustic reflection, echosounder, target strength

1. Introduction necessary. TS is the strength of the sound

reflection (echo) of the fish as a single target
In 2002, seahorses have been regulated in
(Ehrenberg, 1984). Acoustic reflection
the Convention of International Trade in
information from TS is important information of
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
underwater acoustic technology that can be used
(CITES) appendix II. Seahorses are listed on the
for stock assessment (Manik, 2009). The difficulty
Red List of Threatened Species (2014) due to the
of hydro acoustic survey techniques in
decreasing of their population in nature (Project
quantifying the abundance of fish is almost
Seahorse, 2009).
dependent on the knowledge of the distribution of
The identification and estimation of the
TS values that will be the object of observation
seahorse present in the coastal marine are
(Dawson and Karp, 1990).
difficult to obtain. Nowadays, to find and monitor
This research is preliminary observation
the seahorse’s population in seawaters around
and measurement TS value of the seahorse’s.
the world still use conventional method (visual,
This is the first research conducted observations
biological and statistical techniques) (Foster and
of acoustic reflections of the seahorse. This initial
Vincent, 2004; Curtis 2007; Correia et al. 2014;
research will be focused on measurement of
Yip et al., 2014). The bio-statistic approach has
seahorse’s TS on active and passive moving
some limitations, such as time consuming and
conditions. The results of this study are expected
low accuracy. It needs an approach that can
to be useful for describing the acoustic energy
provide more accurate, comprehensive, and
generated by one of the physiology factors (Ona,
based on telemetry (Underwater Acoustic).
1990; horne, 2003). The physiology factor can
Implementation of active acoustic
influence the prediction of TS value and increase
technology through basic research to calculate
the accuracy of seahorse’s backscattering
the acoustic reflection properties known as
strength to stock assessment in coastal waters.
Target Strength (TS) of a seahorse was
 Apdillah et al., 2018, Seahorse Acoustic Reflection 37

2. Material and Methods water tank’s backscattering recording is

conducted without the presence of the seahorse.
This research was conducted in Laboratory
An underwater camera, is placed on the wall side
of Aquaculture Faculty of Marine Science and
of the watertank during the data transmitting, is
Fisheries UMRAH Tanjungpinang. Field data
capturing seahorse. The setup of the experiment
collection is conducted during January-March
is shown in Figure 1. Image captured and
2017. Data analysis is conducted at Marine
recording of seahorse’s acoustic data are done at
Acoustics and Instrumentation Laboratory,
the same time in order to monitoring the behavior
Department of Marine Science and Technology,
orientation of the seahorse.
Bogor Agricultural University in May 2017.
Data analysis
Seahorse collection and experimental setup
The data analysis and calculation of the
The data is collected using an experiment
seahorse target strength value (TS) is done using
watertank made of cement with a diameter of 2.7
Sonar-4 software (Balk and Lindem, 2015).
m x height 1.7 m. Water filled into the watertank
Calculation of TS value used equation
that filtered out from the ocean waters is sucked
(Burczynski and Johnson, 1986; MacLennan et.
using a pump machine. The water height is 1.6
al., 2002) :
m. Observed seahorse (Hippocampus sp.) is
originally from the Bintan Island coastal waters.
TS = 10 log (σbs / 4 )
Seahorses are living moved into the watertank
and placed on an artificial substrate made of
Where σbs backscattering cross section, on the
nylon rope at a distance of 1.1 m from a
measurement of the acoustic signal from a single
transducer, this is adjusted by the near field and
target using the sonar equation (Simmonds and
far field distance (Medwind and Clay, 1997).
MacLennan et.al., 2005) :
Further, the aquatic environmental parameters
(salinity and temperature) are measured and
EL = SL – 2TL + TS
used for sound speed (c) computation. Seahorse
EL = SL − 40 log10 (R) − 2αR + TS + 2B (θ)
data recording is done using scientific
echosounder, single beam SIMRAD EK-15
Where EL is the echo level, SL is the source
frequency 200 Khz. The transducer is placed as
level, R is the range (the propagation distance), α
a downward looking (vertical) position. The
is the absorption coefficient, B (θ) is a transducer
setting and specification of echosounder is listed
beam pattern as a function of the beam (θ). The
in Table 1.
collected acoustic data is statistically analyzed by
Instrument calibration is done by on-axis
linear regression and anova (p value < 0,001)
acoustic transmission technique using sphere
using R software (R Core Team, 2016).
ball, based on standard procedure (Simrad,
2012). Baseline condition is firstly compiled, the

Table 1. Settings and specification of the echosounder during target strength (TS) measurement
Type of transducer SIMRAD ES200-7C
Transducer shape Circular
Transmission frequency (kHz) 200
Transmitting power (W) 45
o
Beam width 26
Pulse length (ms) 0.128
1
Ping rate (ping s− ) 10
Minimum threshold (dB) −70
 38 Omni-Akuatika Vol. 14 No. 1 May 2018 : 36 - 43

Figure 1. Set-up of water tanks for seahorse experiment (downward looking transducers) using SIMRAD
EK-15.

3. Results and Discussion TS value from the seahorses is ranged in interval

-52.31 to 60.91 dB (± 3dB). The variability of TS
Morphometric measurements of
values are influenced by variants of the sample
seahorse are done after recording the acoustic
size of various seahorses. The highest TS value
data, including length, weight, sex type, given the
is generated on the largest seahorse (15 cm).
same repeat on each observation object (N =
Observations results are shown in Table 2.
600). The result of measuring the average

Fluctuation of Seahorse TS value is divided into 30 segments, each 10 pings per

segment (Figure 2). The selection of calculated
Seahorses’ observations in active and
areas is assisted by the results of underwater
passive moving conditions are carried out on the
video recording.
same seahorse, with a time interval of 300 pings
for each condition. The calculation area

Table 2. Recapitulation of measurements result of length, weight and mean TS value of seahorses
No Total Length (cm) Weigth (gr) Sex N (Ping Number) Mean TS (dB)

1 12.5 4,56 Male 600 -56.46

2 13 4,76 Male 600 -60.91
3 11 3,34 Male 600 -58.61
4 15 4,77 Female 600 -52.31
 Apdillah et al., 2018, Seahorse Acoustic Reflection 39

Figure 2. Echograms of seahorse sound signal reflection on moving condition of active (a) and
passive (b)

Figure 3. The scatter plot shows the seahorse sound reflection variability

The observation result and measurement seahorse to the transducer position. It is

show the fluctuation of the seahorse’s TS in corresponding with the opinion from Simmonds
active moving condition to reach the range 16-18 and MacLennan (2005); Sánchez et. al., (2015)
dB. The fluctuation value is higher than the that the TS values of fishes are influenced by the
passive condition about 2-6 dB (Figure 3). This is angle of arrival or orientation of the fish toward
caused by the change of orientation direction the transducer.
40 Omni-Akuatika Vol. 14 No. 1 May 2018 : 36 - 43

Relationship of TS and Size especially in passive moving condition (Figure

4). The small correlation value is caused by the
Based on the result of linear regression,
small number of treatments (number of seahorse
it shows the correlation of mean TS value with
size), but the linear regression result has
seahorse size in both conditions (active and
indicated that the analysis of the determination of
passive). Although the correlation value is small,
the TS value relates to the seahorse size, it is
but is significant relation. The results of this
better to use immobile fish technique (seahorse
correlation show that there is a correlation
on passive conditions) because it can increase
between the average TS value generated against
the value of normal data distribution.
the size (length) of the seahorse observed,

Figure 4. Results of TS relation to the size linear regression on (a) active and passive (b) moving
conditions

Figure 5. Boxplot of data distribution of the Seahorse TS value difference to size (on active and passive
conditions)
 Apdillah et al., 2018, Seahorse Acoustic Reflection 41

Generally, the average seahorse TS value moving conditions -59.64 dB (± 3 dB). However,
of the measurement result is -57.07 dB (± 3 dB) the standard deviation value of seahorse active
with a standard deviation of 5.61. The combined moving conditions is larger than the standard
TS distribution (from active and passive moving deviation value in passive moving conditions, it is
seahorse conditions) shows a bi- modal (the two reached 5.59 (Table 3). The results of this
peaks) sound intensity (Figure 6). The results of analysis have reinforced the fact that the
this analysis in detail found the difference in seahorse on active moving conditions will
reflection value of seahorse in active moving increase the fluctuation and variation of the
conditions with values of -54.49 dB (± 3 dB). It is seahorse acoustic reflection value as a result of
greater than the average TS value in passive changes in the orientation direction (Figure 5).

Figure 6. TS Distribution of seahorse (from combination of active and passive moving conditions) based
The Probability Density Function (PDF). Left panel: The Gaussian curve shows a bi- modal TS
distribution. Right panel: Distribution of TS value variation of seahorse in both conditions. Solid line is the
expected normal data distribution.

Table 3. TS average result of multi scatter plot, standard deviation on active and passive moving
conditions
Seahorse Condition N Mean (dB) sd p.overall
[ALL] 240 -57.07 5.61
Active 120 -54.49 5.59 0
Passive 120 -59.64 4.31

The results of anova analysis have conditions (active and passive). The result of the
shown the difference of TS mean value to Tukey Test shows that the TS value from the
seahorse size on active and passive moving active moving condition seahorse is very
conditions (p value < 0.001) see Table 4. Based significantly different than the passive moving
on this fact, further test is done to investigating condition, see Figure 7.
the distribution of data groups from both

Table 4. The Anova result of seahorse on active and passive moving conditions

Df Sum Sq Mean Sq F value Pr(>F)

Condition 1 1587 1587.3 63.7 6.13e-14 ***
Residuals 238 5931 24.9

Note: *** p value < 0.001,

42 Omni-Akuatika Vol. 14 No. 1 May 2018 : 36 - 43

Figure 7. Tukey Test indicate that TS values of seahorse on active and passive moving conditions
significantly different statistically

4. Conclusion
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