A project involving Scottish technology supplier Ace Aquatec and breeding company Hendrix Genetics is using AI-enabled camera systems to collect individual fish growth data over time.
The work uses Ace Aquatec’s A-BIOMASS camera technology, which combines imaging and artificial intelligence to monitor fish in tanks without handling. Unlike conventional biomass monitoring, which measures average stock weight at a single point in time, the system can track individual fish using visible spot patterns.
According to the companies, this allows Hendrix Genetics to analyse growth patterns among different genetic families and assess how fish perform under varying environmental conditions.
The data has been used to study seasonal growth variation and to adjust feeding strategies during different growth phases. Hendrix Genetics said the approach may also support broodstock selection by identifying fish lines that perform best in particular farming conditions.
Traditional biomass sampling typically involves netting and weighing fish, which can stress animals and interrupt feeding behaviour. Automated camera monitoring allows data collection without handling, the companies said.
Stephen Tapping, breeding program manager at Hendrix Genetics, said the system provided more frequent and detailed growth observations than manual sampling.
Nathan Pyne-Carter, chief executive of Ace Aquatec, said the project demonstrated how biomass monitoring systems could be used beyond estimating tank biomass, including informing feeding and production decisions.
