From viscous to inertial forces : defining the limits of hydrodynamic regimes for larval fishes ...

• Main Author: Sarkisian, Brie Laura
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: The University of Texas at Austin 2005
• Subjects: Red drum larvae; Red drum larvae swimming; Red drum larvae locomotion; Red drum larvae development; Red drum larvae swimming hydrodynamics; Sciaenops ocellatus swimming; Red drum larvae swimming and viscosity; Larval fish swimming; Red drum > Larvae > Locomotion; Red drum > Larvae > Speed; Red drum > Larvae > Development; Hydrodynamics; Red drum; Sciaenops ocellatus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/54898; https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/128363

The larval period in fishes is characterized by rapid growth which produces significant changes in the hydrodynamic conditions during swimming. The point of this study was to examine the changes in hydro-dynamic forces that act on red drum larvae, Sciaenops ocellatus, and to identify the hydrodynamic transition points throughout their development. I experimentally altered hydrodynamic conditions by changing the size of the fish under study (5-6 mm, 8 - 9.5 mm, 13 - 15.5 mm, and 29 - 35 mm in total length) and the kinematic viscosity of test solutions (0.8, 1.2, 1.6, and 2.0 x 10⁶ m² s⁻¹), in order to achieve a wide range of Reynolds numbers based on body length (ReL ranged from 12 to 4695). Five kinematic variables (swim-ming speed, stride length, tail-beat frequency, transverse tail speed, and tail amplitude) were measured for fish swimming at a constant speed along a linear path. Within a size class, increases in fluid kinematic viscosity reduced only swimming speed and stride length and only for the two ...