Study on the swimming ability of endemic fish in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River: A case study

Abstract

The swimming abilities of Spinibarbus hollandi, Siniperca chuatsi, Siniperca loona, Odontobutis sinensis and Rhinogobius giurinus were tested in this study, including induced swimming speed (Uind), critical swimming speed (Ucrit) and constant acceleration test speed (UCAT). The results showed that the Uind of the experimental fish in the Huishui River ranged from 5 to 30 cm/s. The average Ucrit of fish was 68.2 cm/s and 5 times the average Uind. The average UCAT was 97.6 cm/s and 7 times the Uind. The swimming speed of fish is related to their body size. The results showed that the swimming speed was more correlated with the shape than the body length of fish. The relationships between the three speeds and the shape of the experimental fish wereUind=9.809S0.128Ucrit=37.954S0.185, andUCAT=58.418S0.099. The differences in Uind between the five fishes were not obvious, while there were significant differences in Ucrit and UCAT between the five fish species. The results of this study suggested that Spinibarbus hollandi, Siniperca chuatsi, and Siniperca loona have stronger swimming abilities than Odontobutis sinensis and Rhinogobius giurinus.