Accelerating fishes increase propulsive efficiency by modulating vortex ring geometry
Abstract
The ability to move is one of the key evolutionary events that led to the complexity of vertebrate life. The most speciose group of vertebrates, fishes, displays an enormous variation of movement patterns during steady swimming. We discovered that this behavioral diversity collapses into one movement pattern when fishes are challenged to increase their swimming speed, regardless of their body size, shape, and ecology. Using flow visualization and biomimetic models, we provide the first mechanistic understanding of how this conserved movement pattern allows fishes to accelerate quickly.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Dec 11, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.1705968115
Entities
People
- George V. Lauder
- James C Liao
- Joy Putney
- Otar Akanyeti
- William J. Stewart
- Yuzo R. Yanagitsuru
Organizations
- Aberystwyth University
- Eastern Florida State College
- Georgia Tech
- Harvard University
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
- National Science Foundation
- Office of Naval Research
- University of Florida