Measurement of swimming ability of silver fish (Plecoglossus altivelis ) using a Particle Imaging Velocimetry

Abstract

As a fish way is a structure for fish migrating well toward upper stream due to breaking river flow by a dam or dammed pool, the specific fish`s swimming ability is one of the main factors in making a plan and managing it. In addition, it also needs to understand the current field in fish road to evaluate its performance. This study is aimed to analyze the swimming patterns with current velocity changes using a Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) in order to understand the swimming ability of silver fish (Plecoglossus altivelis) that is one of the fishes migrating through the fish way of Nakdong River, and to analyze the 2 dimensional current field near to silver fish at swimming momentum. The results showed that average values of tail beat frequencies for continuous swimming with current velocity were 2.8 Hz at 0.3 m/s, 3.2 Hz at 0.4 m/s, 3.8 Hz at 0.5 m/s, respectively. The wake would be produced by direction turning of fish`s tail fin and its magnitude would be verified by the difference of pressure. The pressure turbulent flow produced by its tail beat would be made in both sides, and then, the magnitude of wake should be the source of moving direction. The swimming momentum will help to support the primary factor in making a suitable design for specific fish species migrating toward the district river.