Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 February 2009
The hydrodynamic pressure forces acting upon a slender fish are derived for the case of a fish swimming in a non-uniform velocity field. Possible applications are the effects on fish propulsion of swimming in waves, in turbulent eddies, and in the presence of other fish or a moving ship. The fish is assumed to be a slender body, with no vorticity shed into the fluid except at a single abrupt trailing edge located at the posterior end of the fish, and to be performing small lateral swimming undulations of its body. The non-uniform field through which the fish swims is assumed to be irrotational, and this field as well as the body undulations must be slowly-varying on the length-scale of the lateral fish dimensions. Expressions are derived for the local force and the time-averaged total thrust force. These are applied to the study of steady-state bow-riding and wave-riding of porpoises.