Model of Collective Fish Behavior with Hydrodynamic Interactions.

Area of Science:

• Fluid dynamics
• Animal behavior
• Collective motion

Background:

• Fish schooling is commonly modeled using self-propelled particle systems.
• Existing models often overlook the significant role of hydrodynamics and fluid flow.
• Fish are known to perceive and utilize flow features in their environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel model integrating fish behavioral rules with hydrodynamic interactions.
• To investigate the impact of far-field hydrodynamic forces on collective fish movement.
• To explore emergent behaviors and dynamics in fish schools influenced by fluid flow.

Main Methods:

• Coupling phenomenological behavioral rules with far-field hydrodynamic interactions.
• Developing a computational model simulating fish schooling dynamics.
• Analyzing emergent collective behaviors and individual movement patterns.

Main Results:

• A novel "collective turning" phase was observed in the simulations.
• Fish individuals exhibited faster average swimming speeds due to fluid interactions.
• Hydrodynamic effects were found to enhance behavioral noise within the school.

Conclusions:

• Hydrodynamic interactions are crucial for accurately modeling fish schooling dynamics.
• The proposed model provides new insights into collective behaviors like "collective turning".
• Future research on fish collective motion should incorporate hydrodynamic effects for a comprehensive understanding.