A LABORATORY FOR FISH BEHAVIOR STUDIES 



INTRODUCTION 



Intelligent approaches to problems of 

 fish passage over dams or other obstruc- 

 tions to migration require interpretation 

 of fish behavior observed in the field, and 

 the ability to predict future behavior 

 under specified conditions. The investiga- 

 tion of fish behavior in relation to fish 

 passage problems necessitates that some 

 studies be in more detail than is sometimes 

 possible in the field. Laboratory research 

 is needed in which environmental factors 

 can be isolated to determine how they affect 

 the migratory behavior of Pacific salmon 

 and how they can be related to the design 

 and operation of fishways, bypasses, count- 

 ing mechanisms, and guiding devices. 



A laboratory for studying fish behavior 

 has been constructed as a basic unit of the 



fish behavior studies initiated by Pacific 

 Salmon Investigations with headquarters at 

 Seattle, Washington. This paper describes 

 these laboratory facilities, demonstrates 

 how they can be used, and reviews briefly 

 their use. 



PHYSICAL FACILITIES 



Main experimental tank 



The principal experimental area is a 

 covered concrete tank (fig. 1) which has 

 at one end a headbox and at the other end 

 a sump from which water can be recircu- 

 lated through the headbox and tcunk (fig. 2, 

 page 2). Four vertical axial-flow pumps 

 mounted over the sump, 15 by 30 by 9 feet 

 deep, can discharge up to 40 cubic feet of 

 water per second into the headbox, 10 by 



Experimental Tank 



Walkway 



32' 



Enclosed 

 Platform 



over 

 Meodbox 



=^ 



Experimental Area 



"# 



Aquorium 

 Room 



Floor 

 Tonk 



Temp. Control 



Troughs 



Walkway 



Tank 



Tank 



Sink 



Chemistry--' 

 Refrig. 



86' 10" 



|ElecContrcj| \[^ 



T 



O 



O Electronic 

 Pulse 



Sump 



Unit ^1_ 



Control 

 Panels 



a 



Vert, pumps 



Mfump 



Generator 



52' 



Figure 1. — Plan of laboratory building showing relation of machinery deck, 

 wing and enclosed platform to the main experimental tank. 



