The hydrodynamic disturbances of two species of krill: implications for aggregation structure

Krill aggregations vary in size, krill density and uniformity depending on the species of krill. These aggregations may be structured to allow individuals to sense the hydrodynamic cues of neighboring krill or to avoid the flow fields of neighboring krill, which may increase drag forces on an individual krill. To determine the strength and location of the flow disturbance generated by krill, we used infrared particle image velocimetry measurements to analyze the flow field of free-swimming solitary specimens (Euphausia superba and Euphausia pacifica) and small, coordinated groups of three to six E. superba. Euphausia pacifica individuals possessed shorter body lengths, steeper body orientations relative to horizontal, slower swimming speeds and faster pleopod beat frequencies compared with E. superba. The downward-directed flow produced by E. pacifica has a smaller maximum velocity and smaller horizontal extent of the flow pattern compared with the flow produced by E. superba, which suggests that the flow disturbance is less persistent as a potential hydrodynamic cue for E. pacifica. Time record analysis reveals that the hydrodynamic disturbance is very weak beyond two body lengths for E. pacifica, whereas the hydrodynamic disturbance is observable above background level at four body lengths for E. superba. Because the nearest neighbor separation distance of E. superba within a school is less than two body lengths, hydrodynamic disturbances are a viable cue for intraspecies communication. The orientation of the position of the nearest neighbor is not coincident with the orientation of the flow disturbance, however, which indicates that E. superba are avoiding the region of strongest flow.