Accurate & instant results to make on the spot decisions.
Handheld & Portable
Light weight & small. Take it with you anywhere & carry it in your bag!
Rugged & Durable
Water proof to IP65 standards & made for use in wet conditions.
All day battery life
Up to 8 hours of use to last all day for outdoor field measurements.
Non destructive
Use your fish and meat again, it does no harm!
Easy to use
Use it right out of the box, no training needed. Big LCD and use to see menu options.
Research
Government & Universities research projects.
Quality Control
Objective & data driven results to ensure consistent quality.
Fishing Contests
Determine winners & rule enforcement.
Our Clients
Trusted by world's most demanding Scientists, Researchers & Technicians.
How It Works
The fish fat (lipid) content measurement is based on the fish water content that is measured by the micro-strip sensor. From the fish water content, it uses Distell's calibrated algorithm to provide the fish fat (lipid) percentage results.
Distell's Fish Meter developed and refined it's algorithm based on years of research through experience & customer feedback. Its been tested, proven and trusted by world's most demanding customers for years.
Accuracy Guide
Fat (lipid) reading
Accuracy
2% to 15%
± 0.5% to ± 1.0%
16% to 30%
± 1.0% to ± 2.0%
31% and above
± 2.0% to ± 4.0%
How to read the Accuracy Guide: for a fish that has roughly 2% to 15% total fat (lipid) content, the Distell Fish Fat Meter has a accuracy of ± 0.5% to ± 1.0%.
Same goes for 16% to 30% and so on. As the fish total fat (lipid) content increases, so does the percentage of variance in the accuracy.
Easy To Use & Rugged
Only three buttons: On/Off, Reset & Read. Turn it on, select your fish and measure. Yes, it's that simple!
Ease of Use:
No special training or prior knowledge needed
Only three buttons: ON/OFF, Reset & Read.
Big LCD display & easy to navigate menu options.
Rugged & Ready for Outdoor!
Water proof to IP65 standards.
Durable & sturdy metal casing.
All day rechargeable 8 hour battery life.
Results in Seconds & Non-destructive
Depending on the size of the fish, take 1 to 4 measurements per fish for reliable & accurate reading. You'll then get an "average" of those readings as a result.
Distell's Fish Fat Meter can be used on live fish since it doesn't need to carve out the measuring sample. Also, the device only emits approximately 1 mW (mili Watt) to take the readings. This does no harm to the fish.
Limitations
No device or system is perfect, this goes for Distell's Fish Fat Meter as well. We are 100% upfront with what's capable with this device.
The fish (sample being tested) must be at least 1 inch (25 mm) thick.
Can NOT measure frozen fish, it must be completely thawed or defrosted.
Can hold up to 1,000 measurement data results on the device before needing to be off loaded to your PC.
Up to 48 fish specie calibrations can be set.
Fish Specie Calibration List
Every purchase or rental of Distell's Fish Fat Meters includes up to 4 fish specie calibrations.
Choose from below fish species list or download the complete list in PDF format.
The choice between the two meters sizes available for Distell's Fish Fat Meter depends on the fish body size (NOT including the head and tail).
Our recommendation for the fish body length (NOT including the head and tail):
- If it's smaller than 2.25 inches in body length, choose the small meter.
- if it's longer than 2.25 inches, choose the larger size.
In order to use Distell's Fish Fat Meter, the fish must meet the minimum body size (not including head or tail) and thickness to accurately measure the fish fat content.
For fish body length (NOT including the head and the tail), it must be at least longer than 1.5 inches (40 mm).
For fish thickness, it depends on the overall fish fat content:
- if the overall fish fat content is around 1 - 7%, then the fish thickness must be at least 0.28 - 0.31 in (7 - 8 mm).
- if the overall fish fat content is around 8 – 15%, then the fish thickness must be 0.6 - 0.67 in (15 - 17 mm).
- if the overall fish fat content is around 16 – 25%, then the fish thickness must be 0.79 - 1.0 in (20 - 25 mm).
These are the absolute minimum body size and thickness required. If the fish does not meet the requirements, unfortunately, you will not get an accurate result.
Yes and this is one of the best reasons why people choose Distell's Fish Fat Meters.
Distell's Fish Fat Meter is non-destructive and non-invasive, meaning, it does no harm to the fish. You can measure and monitor live fish fat content as they respond to various diets.
Distell's Fish Fat Meter can be used to measure directly on the skin of the fish or directly on the flesh of the fish (e.g. bone side). There are different calibration settings available for each method.
If you want to measure a fish that is not on Distell's Fish Fat Meter calibration list, it's easy to create your own custom calibration. Please see the attached Custom Calibration instructions.
Distell's Fish Fat Meter can hold and save up to 1,000 measured data results on the device. After the 1,000, all the measured data results can be downloaded to your PC with the free cord download cable provided in the kit.
Once the measured data is downloaded to your PC, you can use the free Distell Data Management Software to manage the measured results.
Like any scientific and industrial measuring devices, basic regular maintenance and up keep is recommended.
For instance, after each measurements, make sure to wipe clean the sensors and the device.
We also recommend at least a once a year re-calibration and maintenance by Distell. This is for additional fee to ensure the measurements are accurate, precise and working as expected. During the annual re-calibration and maintenance by Distell, we clean, inspect and update the firmware if available. The entire process take about 3 days from the time the meters are received.
Yes. Distell's Fish Fat Meter can measure directly on the skin of the fish or directly on the flesh of the fish (e.g. bone side). There are different calibration settings available for each method.
Yes. If you measure directly on the lateral line of the fish, the measurements will have more variance when compared with results from measuring above the lateral line.
The reason is that if you measure directly under the skin on the lateral line, there is a strip of flesh which tends to contain more fat. The amount of fat present in this area varies significantly due to seasonal changes.
If you measure above the lateral line, then you are measuring directly into the fish flesh / muscle area. This is much more repeatable (stable) and representative of the fat distribution in the flesh / muscle. We recommend this approach since it'll give more consistent results with low variance (changes less) over time as seasons change.
Yes. All Distell's meters are waterproof and certified to IP65 standards. This means you can use it in wet conditions in the field study on lakes, oceans and wet markets.
Under normal use frequency, we would recommend to have the meters re-calibrated every 12 months.
If you're using the device and measuring hundreds of times a day, we recommend 3 or 3 months.
Everytime we receive the device for re-calibration, we thoroughly clean, make software updates and we can recommend other fixes if needed.
Yes. All Distell's meters meet the HACCAP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) standards and comply with IP65 standards which means it can be used in wet conditions.
