RESEARCH THEME
Research to elucidate the ecological reasons and mechanisms that have led fishes to acquire specific shapes and swimming behaviors.
魚類が特定の形態や泳動作を獲得するに至った生態学的な理由とそのメカニズムの解明.
VISION
Fishes’ morphology and swimming behavior have been optimized by natural selection to suit their ecology and habitat. Therefore, a detailed analysis of fishes’ morphology and swimming behavior is expected to lead to ecological discoveries and engineering applications.
There are three main objectives of this study.
1.Understanding the ecology of swimming
Fish live in the water and swim to catch food, escape from enemies, and swim to reproduce. Thus, the ecology of fish is closely related to swimming. Therefore, we can expect to understand the ecology of swimming by investigating the morphology and swimming behavior of fishes from a hydrodynamic point of view.
2.Understanding the evolutionary process
Currently, phylogenetic classification of fishes is being conducted based on genes and skeletons. However, by investigating the relationship between morphology and swimming ability, we can understand the reasons for the divergence from one species to another from a hydrodynamic perspective.
3.Elucidation of mechanisms contributing to engineering applications
Fishes’ morphology and swimming behavior have been optimized for specific purposes during the long evolutionary process. Therefore, clarification of the mechanisms of morphology and swimming behavior is expected to improve the performance of industrial products.
魚類の形態や泳動作は自然淘汰により，それぞれの生態や生息環境に合わせて最適化されています．このため，魚類の形態や泳動作に対して詳細な分析を行うことにより，生態学的な発見や工学応用が期待できます.
本研究の目的は大きく下記三つです.
1．遊泳に関する生態の理解
魚類は水中で生活をしているため，基本的に，泳いでエサを獲り，泳いで敵から逃げ，泳ぎながら繁殖します．このように魚類の生態と遊泳は密接にかかわっており，流体力学的視点から魚類の形態や泳動作について調査をすることで，遊泳に関する生態の理解が期待できます．
2．進化過程の理解
現在，遺伝子や骨格等に基づいて魚類の系統分類が行われています．形態と遊泳能の関係を調べることにより，特定の種から特定の種へ分岐した理由の流体力学的な視点からの理解が期待できます．
3．工学応用に資する機序の解明
魚類の形態や泳動作は長い進化の過程で特定の目的に合わせて最適化されています．そのため，形態や泳動作の機序の解明により工業製品の性能向上が期待できます.
PROJECTS
METHOD
本研究では主にコンピュータ上で水の挙動や魚類の泳動作を再現する数値流体解析を用います．
数値流体解析の様子
NEWS
2022.02.11
筆頭論文「Changes in rays’ swimming stability due to the phase difference between left and right pectoral fin movements」がpublishされました．
2022.01.30
海遊館のオンラインサロンである生き物サロンで，流体力学と魚類の遊泳について発表しました．
2021.05.31
筆頭論文「The pressure drag reduction effect of tandem swimming by Caranx sexfasciatus and Rhincodon typus」の電子版が公開されました．