Navigating turbulence: the effects of eddy size on the swimming performance of walleye (Sander vitreus) larvae.

ABSTRACT: Walleye (Sander vitreus) populations experience substantial interannual fluctuations driven largely by high rates of larval mortality. To investigate the potential mechanisms underlying recruitment in walleye larvae, we assessed the effect of turbulence on larval swimming performance in a recirculating flow chamber. We measured the critical swimming speeds (Ucrit) of larvae throughout their first 5 weeks of development in response to increasing levels of turbulence and varying eddy sizes, generated through controlled water flow and the use of grid turbulence. As early as the first week post hatch, larvae exhibited a rheotactic response, demonstrating the ability to resist and swim against turbulent flows to some extent. Measured Ucrit increased with larval total length (LT; or age), and wa

SUBMITTER: Chong KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12633743 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature