Modeling the odor-landscape resulting from the pumping behavior of bivalve clams in the presence of predators. (14th September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Alvarez, A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of theoretical biology. Volume 453(2018)
• Page Start: 40
• Page End: 47
• Publication Date: 2018-09-14
• Subjects: Odor landscape -- Computational fluid dynamics -- Finite time Lyapunov exponents -- Lagrangian coherent structures -- Hard clam -- Blue crab; Biology -- Periodicals; Biological Science Disciplines -- Periodicals; Biology -- Periodicals; Biologie -- Périodiques; Theoretische biologie; Biology; Periodicals; 571.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.05.019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-5193

Abstract

Highlights: Hard clams may enhance local mixing in the presence of predators, by controlling pumping. Enhanced mixing masks chemical cues and may prevent predatory tracking success. A numerical model is used to investigate mixing from clam's pumping behavior. Finite-time Lyapunov exponents (FTLE) are used to analyze downstream mixing. Success to mask chemical clues depends on the exhalant jet-to-crossflow velocity ratio. Abstract: Motivated by experimental findings, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was used to investigate whether the clam Mercenaria mercenaria may alter its cue downstream variability by an exhalant random pumping behavior. This behavior was hypothesized to occur in the presence of predator chemical signals in order to prevent successful tracking by the predator. Simulated downstream flow and mixing conditions derived from the random nature of the clam exhalant jet in a crossflow were analyzed by computing an intermittency factor, determining the field of finite-time Lyapunov exponents (FTLEs) and identifying the resulting Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs). Numerical simulations illustrate that the effectiveness of a fluctuating exhalant jet to prevent downstream tracking by a crab, depends on the ratio of the exhalant jet to the crossflow. Specifically, the clam could effectively enhance the downstream dispersion to prevent tracking, but only in the range of parameters where LCSs are generated (jet-to-crossflow ratio ≥ 1). Then, the probability of detection is reduced with respect to the case of a less fluctuating exhalant jet.