Cameras Now Estimate Fish Weight Without Netting
Fish farmers and aquarium keepers can monitor stock growth without handling each animal, though the system has so far been tested only on tilapia.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Aquariums
Researchers at Sultan Qaboos University have developed StereoGeoBox, a system that estimates fish weight from underwater camera images, with results published October 23, 2026 in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. The system is aimed at aquaculture operations that need to monitor fish growth without handling the animals.
Why it matters
Aquaculture operators typically weigh fish by hand, which stresses the animals and slows monitoring. A camera-based estimate that runs in real time could let fish farms track growth more often and with less disruption, which matters for hobbyists and small operators watching feed and stock health.
The study tracked tilapia over 15 months at four growth stages using two stereo-camera systems. In a controlled test, the average length estimate was 15.25 cm against a 15.30 cm reference.
The players
Sultan Qaboos University
A public university in Oman whose researchers developed the StereoGeoBox system.
Abdullah Al Salem University
A Kuwaiti university that collaborated on the fish weight estimation research.
The details
StereoGeoBox uses two synchronized cameras and YOLO11 artificial intelligence to identify fish in paired images. It calculates depth from the geometric relationship between the detected bounding boxes, then feeds the estimated length and width into an XGBoost machine-learning model to predict weight. The prototype combines underwater cameras, edge computing, and a cloud-based dashboard.
Timeline
Tilapia were monitored over 15 months at four growth stages during the study.
The study was published in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture on October 23, 2026.
The Home Front
Camera-based monitoring builds on the YOLO11 object-detection model by adapting it to underwater fish measurement. The approach offers an alternative to manual weighing that aquarium and pond keepers have long relied on.
If you keep fish in a home aquarium or pond, weighing or measuring them is still best done gently and with a clean net or container. Camera-based estimation is not yet available for home use, so continue regular observation of growth and feeding.
The takeaway
Regular, low-stress checks of fish size and condition help catch growth or feeding problems early. Keep a simple log of weight or length if you run a pond or large tank.
Further reading
For more on keeping fish healthy in home tanks, see Aquariums.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ocean News & Technology.
