1. Fish Locomotion

2. Definition
The result of interactions between the fish’s body shape, anatomy, physiology, behavior, and the behavior of water

3. Properties of Water A). Cohesion B). Adhesion C). Density/Viscosity
D). High Specific Heat
E). High Heat of Vaporization
F). Other Properties
Terrestrial vs aquatic 1

4. A). Cohesion Attraction between particles of the same substance
Water molecules attracted to other water molecules
Surface tension, a measure of the strength of water’s surface, is the direct result of cohesion. 1

5. Cohesion and surface tension is why this hurts!

6. Cohesion
Surface tension of water decreases significantly with temperature.
Hot water is a better cleaning agent because the lower surface tension makes it a better "wetting agent" (doesn’t stick to itself as well)

7. A). Cohesion
Gyrinid Beetles
Water Striders

8. A). Cohesion Basilisk lizard
Light weight (2 grams) upon hatching to more 200 grams) as adults
Run across water for a distance of approximately 15 feet (4.5 meters)
Called the “Jesus lizard” in Central America

9. B). Adhesion Attraction between two different substances.
Water will make hydrogen bonds with other surfaces
Glass, soil, plant , tissues, and cotton
Turbid/muddy
Capillary action

10. Adhesion and fish Two types of drag
1: Friction (skin or viscous) drag—results from water sticking to fish as it tries to move through the fluid.
More surface area, more water can stick
Relative to mass

11. F). Viscosity Viscosity Resistance to change in form
Molasses has high viscosity
Relatively incompressible
~ 50 greater than air
800x more dense than air
Viscosity also decreases with increasing temperature
hydrogen bonds
Movement is more energetically expensive
Less 02 making it even harder

12. Water dynamitics and fish
Pressure (form) drag—results from displacement of water mass as fish moves through the fluid.
“Hole” from negative pressure

13. Reduction of drag Minimize the amount of water displaced
Two ways fish can reduce these
Pressure: more streamlined
Friction: reduce surface area, reduce friction, or promote turbulent flow near body

14. What is the optimal body shape for fish?

15. Webb’s functional morphology plane
Accelerators
Cruisers
Maneuverers

16. Acceleration specialists- Adaptations for busts of speed
Posterior-placed Median Fins (Dorsal and Anal)
Flexible, Torpedo-Like Body
Ventrally-placed Pectoral Fin
Thick Caudal Peduncle
Small Pectoral and Pelvic fins relative to body size

17. Maneuvering Specialists – Adaptations for structure living
Large Fins Relative To Body Size
Laterally Compressed Body: Gibbose
Fins Evenly Distributed
Laterally Positioned Pectoral Fins; large relative to body

18. Cruisers: Adaptations for roving or current
Forked Tail, Narrow or Average Peduncle
Fusiform, Streamlined body
Relatively large caudal fin
Horizontally Positioned Pectoral Fins

19. Other body shapes Filiform/angilliform Dorso-ventrally compressed
Eel like, borrowing
Dorso-ventrally compressed
Benthic and often in high flow
Dorso-ventrally compressed: adapted for high flow and benthic habitats: large pectoral fins, inferior mouth, fusiform shape

20. Case studies

23. What about intraspecific variation?
Lentic vs lotic habitats?
Predation?

24. Body Musculature Trunk musculature
Myotomes or myomeres - series of muscle blocks
Myosepta - sheets of connective tissue separating myomeres
Myotomes are folded, outer edges resemble a “W”
Gram for gram fish have more muscle than any other group. Fish are moving a lot. Two myomeres per vertebral centra
Muscle contraction.

26. Body Musculature Trunk musculature
A horizontal septum separates upper and lower muscle masses
40-60% of fish weight is muculature
Upper muscles are called epaxial muscle
Lower muscles are called hypaxial muscles
Separation to upper and lower muscles. Horizontal septum is thicker.

27. Chinook Salmon Lamprey/Hagfish
Lamprey/hagfish don’t have horizontal septum.
Lamprey/Hagfish

29. Fish Muscles 3 types Red, pink, and white
Most have a combo of 2 or 3 types
What makes the red muscles red?
A lot of capillaries
Red=swimming a lot
Tuna

30. Muscles White muscle - majority of post cranial muscles in most fishes
Thicker muscle fibers than red muscle (300m)
Used anaerobically in short-duration burst swimming (fast fibers)
fatigues quickly

31. Muscles
White muscle
Lacks myoglobin; little vascularization; limited oxygen supply
Energy results from anaerobic glycolysis
Works for short periods of time
Quick bursts of movement
Produces large amounts of lactate; requires a long time for muscle recovery

32. Muscles
Red muscle - thin, lateral, superficial sheet under the skin between the epaxial and hypaxial muscle masses
Smaller muscle fibers than white ( m)
Infused with capillaries (hemoglobin and myoglobin)

33. Muscles Red muscle Continuous (aerobic) swimming
Rich oxygen supply
Abundant, large mitochondria; energy supplied by aerobic oxidation of lipids; fast recovery of muscles
15ish% of red muscle. Other can have 5% red muscle

34. Red Muscle
Red: by cross-section, 5 to 15 % muscle mass in most species (some species 0 % while others + 15 %)

35. The Tuna: A Swimming Machine
Never stop swimming
Cover vast distances
7,000 miles!
Northern bluefin cross Atlantic in 119 days (40 miles/day)
Endurance swimmers
Capable of high speed bursts
It’s all about the adaptations . . .

36. Muscles
Pink muscle - contains fibers intermediate in character between those of white and red muscle
Used at intermediate swimming velocities
Too high for red muscle to sustain but too low for effective use of white muscle
Aerobic
Mosaic muscles - salmonids have red and pink muscle fibers mixed with white fibers
Used by smolts during migration to sea
Pink because of what they eat

37. Red Muscle vs. White Muscle
Red White
Rate of fatigue
Slow
Fast
Muscle performance
Efficiency
Power
Type of Swimming
Slow Cruising
Fast Bursts
Capillary beds
Extensive
Sparse
Muscle Fiber Density
Low
High
Muscle Mass

38. Fish Locomotion

39. Moving Through Water Functions of Fins
Caudal fin: propulsion (oscillatory and undulatory), rudder
Dorsal and anal fins: undulatory propulsion and prevents roll
Pelvic fins: controls pitch
Pectoral fins: propulsion (sculling) and control yaw; also control turning and brakes

40. Moving Through Water Body/Caudal Fin (BCF) Locomotion
Oscillation = flapping motion
Undulation = waves passing down body or fin

41. Modes of locomtion Propulsion by body and/or caudal fin
Propulsion by undulation of median or pectoral fins
Non-swimming locomotion

43. Moving Through Water Body/Caudal Fin (BCF) Locomotion Anguilliform
Large side-to-side amplitude of the wave along the whole body
Purely undulatory, most of the body participates
Lungfish and some sharks. In larval stage some fish swim in anguilliform mode and then switch. Because some vertebral column may have not ossified yet.

44. Moving Through Water Body/Caudal Fin (BCF) Locomotion Subcarangiform
Similar to anguilliform
Posterior half of the body
Anterior portion of the body often rounded or thick
Anterior portion low flexibility
Posterior undulations
Caudal fin rounded, truncate, or emarginate
Trout, cods, basses
Many perciform fishes.

45. Moving Through Water Body/Caudal Fin (BCF) Locomotion Carangiform
Posterior body flexes
Anterior 1/2 or 2/3 body inflexible
Narrow caudal peduncle
Posterior portion of body tapers
Caudal fin forked or lunate=(half moon)
High aspect ratio
Herrings, sardines, some jacks and some mackerals
Fast swimmers and narrow caudal peduncles. Max swimming with min wake (energy use)

46. Moving Through Water Body/Caudal Fin (BCF) Locomotion Thunniform
Most efficient locomotion mode (but few species)
High cruising speeds to be maintained for long periods.
Significant lateral movements occur only at the caudal fin and area near the narrow peduncle
Stiff caudal fins
Aspect ratio (4-10)!
Marlins, sailfishes, Lamnid sharks, tunas
Most efficient.

47. Moving Through Water Body/Caudal Fin (BCF) Locomotion Ostraciform
Oscillation of the caudal fin
Assisted with pectoral fins
Not very efficient. I am tank motherfucker!

48. Moving Through Water Median/Paired Fin (MPF) Locomotion
Diodontiform: achieved by passing undulations down broad pectoral fins
Amiiform: done by undulations of a (usually long-based) dorsal fin, while the body axis is often held straight when swimming
Gymnotiform: propulsion is by undulations of a long-based anal fin
Balistiform: both the anal and dorsal fins undulate to generate the propulsion forces

49. Modes of Swimming

50. Aspect ratio
tail height:tail depth
High AR
= efficiency, speed
large thrust w/ low drag
Low AR

51. Fins

52. Bernal et al. 2001

53. Do all fish swim?

54. Non-swimming Locomotion
Jet propulsion - water exhaled from the gill chambers; anglerfishes
Terrestrial locomotion - fish can employ anguilliform motion over land
Walking - batfishes
Burrowing - eels, mudminnows
Jumping - tarpon, manta rays
Gliding - flying fish
Flying - freshwater hatchetfishes, freshwater butterflyfish