Functional Morphology of Aquatic Locomotion in Labrid Fishes

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

9407253 Westneat This project explores the engineering design and evolution of swimming in fishes. This research asks two general questions: What is the engineering design of propulsion systems in fishes in terms of the skeleton, muscles, and tendons? And what patterns of change have occurred in the design of fishes' bodies throughout evolutionary history? The approach used to address these questions is a combination of anatomy, video analysis, computer modeling, and modern techniques of studying evolution. This combined approach will reveal the mechanics and history of two locomotor systems in fishes: side-to-side locomotion by the tail and the rowing mode of propulsion with the paired fins. The fishes to be studied in this project are fishes of the family Labridae, which are one of the most diverse species radiations in the oceans of the world. Labrid fishes use multiple locomotor strategies, and they vary in their use of drag-based and lift-based fin locomotion. A central goal of this research is to develop and test computer models of the mechanics (transmission of force and motion) of the swimming behavior of fishes. Computer models will use data on anatomical design to establish the geometric relations between muscle contractions and transmission of force to the fins that cause forward thrust. These prediction are tested by measuring swimming in live fishes using high-speed video analysis. The significance of this research is that it will design features of aquatic locomotion for which no complete mechanical understanding exists. Mechanical testing of fish swimming may provide practical information for application to bio-engineering. Labrid fishes are indicators of biodiversity on tropical coral reefs, and further understanding of their behavior and function will contribute to our knowledge of high diversity ecosystems. this project will culminate by tracing the evolutionary changes in locomotor mechanics onto hypotheses of labrid evolutio n. ***