Quantifying the (X/peanut)-shaped structure in edge-on disc galaxies: length, strength, and nested peanuts

X-shaped or peanut-shaped (X/P) bulges are observed in more than 40 per cent of (nearly) edge-on disc galaxies, though to date a robust method to quantify them is lacking. Using Fourier harmonics to describe the deviation of galaxy isophotes from ellipses, we demonstrate with a sample of 11 such galaxies (including NGC 128) that the sixth Fourier component (B-6) carries physical meaning by tracing this X/P structure. We introduce five quantitative diagnostics based on the radial B-6 profile, namely: its 'peak' amplitude (I (max)); the (projected major-axis) 'length' where this peak occurs (R-I ,R- max); its vertical 'height' above the disc plane (z(I , max)); a measure of the B-6 profile's integrated 'strength' (S-I ); and the B-6 peak 'width' (W-I ). We also introduce different 'classes' of B-6 profile shape. Furthermore, we convincingly detect and measure the properties of multiple (nested) X/P structures in individual galaxies which additionally display the signatures of multiple bars in their surface brightness profiles, thus consolidating further the scenario in which peanuts are associated with bars. We reveal that the peanut parameter space ('length', 'strength' and 'height') for real galaxies is not randomly populated, but the three metrics are inter-correlated (both in kpc and disc scalelength h). Additionally, the X/P 'length' and 'strength' appear to correlate with (v(rot)/sigma(a