Abstract
Current understanding of the effects of turbulence on the swimming performance of fish
32 is primarily derived from laboratory experiments under pressurized flow swim tunnels
33 and open channel flow facilities. These studies have produced valuable information on
34 the swimming mechanics and behavior of fish in turbulent flow. However, laboratory
35 studies have limited representation of the flows fish experience in nature. The complex
36 flow structure in rivers is imparted primarily by the highly heterogeneous and non37
uniform bed and planform geometry. Our goal is to direct future laboratory and field
38 studies to adopt a common framework that will shape the integration of both approaches.
39 This paper outlines four characteristics of turbulent flow, which we suggest should be
40 evaluated when generalizing results from fish turbulent studies in both the laboratory and
41 the field. The framework is based on four turbulence characteristics that are summarized
42 under the acronym IPOS: Intensity, Periodicity, Orientation, and Scale.