BURST SPEED OF ICE GOBY (LEUCOPSARION PETERSII) DURING UPSTREAM RIVER MIGRATION PERIOD

Abstract

 In this study, field experiments were conducted to examine the burst speed of the ice goby, Leucopsarion petersii, a diadromous fish, during its upstream river migration period. The results showed that for ice gobies approximately 4 cm in length, the mean burst speed of the ice goby was the highest under a flow velocity of approximately 40-cm/s, and its value was 90 cm/s, equivalent to a velocity of 21 body lengths per second. The experiments demonstrated that there is a clear relationship between the flow velocity and swimming distance of the ice goby. At flow velocities of ≤ 40 cm/s, ≥ 80% of the ice gobies advanced at least 50 cm. The critical flow velocity at which the ice goby could swim was less than approximately 95 cm/s. This is the same as the burst speed of the ice goby.