The tail flip of the decapod shrimp is a main feature in escaping behavior from the mesh of the codend in the trawl. The characteristics of tail flip in target prawn was observed and analyzed in a water tunnel in respect of flow condition and mesh penetration by a high speed video camera (500 fps). The tail bending angle or bending time in static water was significantly different than in flow water (0.7 m/s) and resultantly the angular velocity in static water was significantly higher than in flow water when carapace was fixed condition. When escaping through vertical traverse net panel in water flow the relative moving angle and relative passing angle to flow direction during tail flip, it significantly decreases the number of shrimps escaping than the case of blocking shrimp. The bending angles of tail flip between net blocking and passing through mesh were not significantly different while the bending time of shrimp passing through mesh was significantly longer than when shrimp blocking on the net. Accordingly the angular velocity of passing through mesh was significantly slower than blocking on the net although the angular velocity of the tail flip was not significantly related with carapace length. The main feature of tail flip for mesh penetration was considered as smaller diagonal direction as moving and passing angle in relation to net panel as right angle to flow direction rather than the angular velocity of tail flip.

• Yonghae KIM(Institute of Marine Industry, College of Marine Science, Gyeongsang National University, Tongyoung 53064, Rep. of Korea) Corresponding author
• Malcolm S. GORDON(Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.)