The Hydrodynamic Distinctiveness of Living Organisms: Communication in Complex Hydraulic Environments

Abstract:

Animals make decisions about the suitability of habitat and their reaction to other organisms based on the sensory information that they first obtain. This information is transmitted, masked and filtered by fluvial processes, such as turbulent flow. Despite governing how animals interact with the environment, limited attention has been paid to the controls on the propagation of sensory signals through rivers.

Some animals interpret hydraulic events and use the characteristics of wakes to sense the presence of other organisms. This implies that at least some animals can differentiate turbulent flow generated by the presence of living organisms from ambient environmental turbulence. We investigate whether there are specific flow characteristics, distinct from the ambient environment, that potentially flag the presence of organisms to other animals.

ADV and PIV measurements in a series of laboratory flume experiments quantified the flow around living Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) and two inanimate objects of equivalent shape and size. Experiments were repeated across a gradient of turbulence intensities generated over nine combinations of flow velocity and relative submergence.

Flows downstream of living crayfish were distinct from inanimate objects, with greater turbulent intensities, higher energy in low- to intermediate frequencies, and flow structures that were less coherent in comparison to those measured downstream of inanimate objects. However, the hydrodynamic signature of crayfish became masked as the intensity of ambient turbulence exceeded that generated by living crayfish.

These results demonstrate the importance of the fluvial processes in the transmission of sensory information and suggest that the ability of animals to perceive hydraulic signatures is likely to be limited in many situations in rivers. Thus, animals may need to rely on other senses, such as sight or hearing, especially where depth is shallow relative to grain size.