Zebrafish swimming in the flow: a particle image velocimetry study

PeerJ

article

Violet Mwaffo¹  Peng Zhang¹  Sebastián Romero Cruz¹  Maurizio Porfiri¹ 

[1]Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering

关键词: Flow physics;    Zebrafish;    Vortex;    Strouhal number;    PIV;    Swimming;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.4041

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Zebrafish is emerging as a species of choice for the study of a number of biomechanics problems, including balance development, schooling, and neuromuscular transmission. The precise quantification of the flow physics around swimming zebrafish is critical toward a mechanistic understanding of the complex swimming style of this fresh-water species. Although previous studies have elucidated the vortical structures in the wake of zebrafish swimming in placid water, the flow physics of zebrafish swimming against a water current remains unexplored. In an effort to illuminate zebrafish swimming in a dynamic environment reminiscent of its natural habitat, we experimentally investigated the locomotion and hydrodynamics of a single zebrafish swimming in a miniature water tunnel using particle image velocimetry. Our results on zebrafish locomotion detail the role of flow speed on tail beat undulations, heading direction, and swimming speed. Our findings on zebrafish hydrodynamics offer a precise quantification of vortex shedding during zebrafish swimming and demonstrate that locomotory patterns play a central role on the flow physics. This knowledge may help clarify the evolutionary advantage of burst and cruise swimming movements in zebrafish.

【 授权许可】

CC BY