Life Sciences Commons^™

Physical Modeling Of Vortical Cross-Step Flow In The American Paddlefish, Polyodon Spathula, Hannah Brooks, Grant Emerson Haines, M. Carly Lin, S. Laurie Sanderson

Arts & Sciences Articles

Vortical cross-step filtration in suspension-feeding fish has been reported recently as a novel mechanism, distinct from other biological and industrial filtration processes. Although crossflow passing over backward-facing steps generates vortices that can suspend, concentrate, and transport particles, the morphological factors affecting this vortical flow have not been identified previously. In our 3D-printed models of the oral cavity for ram suspension-feeding fish, the angle of the backward-facing step with respect to the model’s dorsal midline affected vortex parameters significantly, including rotational, tangential, and axial speed. These vortices were comparable to those quantified downstream of the backward-facing steps that were formed by …