Improving Fish Weight Estimation with Quantile and Box-Cox Transforms: Comparative Machine Learning Models

Year 2025, Volume: 16 Issue: 3, 581 - 597

Hatice Esen , Havvanur Taşdelen , Sefa Kucuk , Işıl Karabey Aksakallı

Abstract

Fish weight estimation using machine learning ensures that fish are fed appropriately, reduces labor, prevents physical harm to the fish, and saves time. In this study, Quantile and Box-Cox transformations are applied to improve the accuracy of fish weight predictions. These transformations correct the asymmetric distribution of the data and enable machine learning algorithms to generalize more effectively and produce more accurate results. CatBoost, Random Forest, Polynomial Regression, and Support Vector Regression methods were evaluated for fish weight estimation both before and after applying the transformations. The experimental results show that both the Quantile and Box-Cox transformations effectively reduce model error rates, particularly by normalizing the dataset distribution. Notably, models without transformation exhibit significant improvements in error rates after transformation is applied. The lowest Mean Absolute Error (MAE) without transformation was obtained using the CatBoost model, yielding a value of 14.002. After applying the Quantile transformation, the MAE decreased to 0.0171, while the Box-Cox transformation resulted in an MAE of 0.3302. Although both transformations contribute to error reduction, the Quantile transformation has a more substantial impact on fish weight estimation. These findings underscore the importance of data transformations in the preprocessing stage and highlight that transformation techniques are as crucial as selecting the appropriate machine learning model.

Keywords

Machine learning , Quantile transformation , Box-cox transformation , Fish weight estimation

Quantile ve Box-Cox Dönüşümleri ile Balık Ağırlığı Tahmininin İyileştirilmesi: Makine Öğrenimi Modellerinin Karşılaştırmalı Bir Çalışması

Abstract

Balık ağırlığının makine öğrenimi (ML) ile tahmini balıkların ihtiyacı kadar yemlenmesini sağlarken iş gücünü
azaltmakta, balıkların Zarar görmesini önlemekte ve zamandan da tasarruf sağlamaktadır. Bu çalışmada balıkların
ağırlık tahmin doğruluğunu artırmak için, veri dağılımını iyileştiren Quantile (QT) ve Box-Cox (BCT) dönüşümleri
uygulanmaktadır. Bu dönüşümler, verinin asimetrik dağılımını düzelterek ML algoritmalarının daha iyi genelleme
yapmasını ve daha doğru tahminler üretmesini sağlamaktadır. Balık ağırlığı tahmini için CatBoost, Random Forest,
Polynomial Regression ve Destek Vektör Regresyon (SVR) yöntemleri, dönüşüm öncesi ve sonrası olmak üzere
karşılaştırılmıştır. Deneysel sonuçlar hem QT hem de BCT’nin, özellikle veri kümesinin dağılımını daha normal bir
hale getirerek modellerin hata oranlarını düşürmede etkili olduğunu ve genel olarak hata oranlarını azalttığını
göstermektedir. Özellikle dönüşümsüz modellerde, dönüşüm uygulandıktan sonra belirgin şekilde hata oranlarında
azalma elde edilmektedir. Dönüşüm uygulanmadan en iyi Ortalama Mutlak Hatası (MAE) değeri 14.0020 ile CatBoost
yöntemi ile elde edilmektedir. QT uygulandığında MAE değeri 0.0171’e, BCT uygulandığında ise 0.3302’ye
düşmektedir. Her iki dönüşüm de MAE değerini azaltırken, QT'nin balık ağırlığı tahmini üzerinde daha belirgin şekilde etkisi olduğu görülmektedir. Bu bulgular, dönüşümlerin veri ön işleme aşamasında önemli bir yere sahip olduğunu ve doğru makine öğrenimi modelini seçmenin yanı sıra, veri dönüşüm tekniklerinin de balık ağırlık tahmininde önemli olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.

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