Analysis of Left Valve Upward Motions of Juvenile Scallops Based on a Dynamical Model

Abstract

This paper describes dynamical analysis of underwater motions of a scallop shell for the purpose of developing a method of controlling the posture of scallop valves, which is necessary as a pre-process to the automatic holing process for scallop culture using the ear-hanging method. The phenomenon, which the authors have discovered, that under some appropriate conditions most scallop shells thrown into the static water turn so as to let their left valves direct vertically upward is focused on. The dynamical model for the scallop's underwater motions of interest is derived and is evaluated by conducting some experiments and simulations. The results show that the derived dynamical model successfully represents the motion of interest and further the principle of the motion has been clarified. Moreover, the results of simulation under a variety of conditions show the motion of interest is available for the purpose.