Simulation and Three-dimensional Animation of Skipjack Behavior as Capture Process during Purse Seining

摘要

We modeled fish school movements as a capture process in relation to the purse seine method using the three steps of the stimulus-response process (i.e., input stimuli, central decision-making and output reaction). Input stimuli of the model were categorized as either physical stimuli such as visual stimulus, sound stimulus, water flow, and weather or as biological stimuli such as species and size, swimming performance, sensual sensitivity, and presence of prey or predators. The output process determining the spatial orientation of the fish school for 3-D movements was based on swimming speed and angular change in the fish response, and these movements were animated as the relative geometry between the fish school and the purse seine. Simulations were carried out for skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) schools reacting to a pelagic purse seine in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Simulation results showed that escape ratios varied from 20 to 70 by the relevant ranges in the stimulus-response thresholds,swimming speeds, and angular changes of fish schools were similar to those observed in the field. Therefore, with knowledge of relevant parameters, this model can be used to predict capture and escape probabilities of purse seine operations for different fish species or conditions.