Undulation frequency affects burial performance in living and model flatfishes

Zoology : Analysis of Complex Systems, ZACS
Amberle McKeeAdam P Summers

Abstract

Flatfishes bury themselves under a thin layer of sand to hide from predators or to ambush prey. We investigated the role of undulation frequency of the body in burial in five species of flatfishes (Isopsetta isolepis, Lepidopsetta bilineata, Hippoglossoides elassodon, Parophrys vetulus, and Psettichthys melanostictus). High-speed videos show that undulations begin cranially and pass caudally while burying, as in forward swimming in many other fishes. The flatfishes also flick the posterior edge of their dorsal and anal fins during burial, which may increase the total surface area covered by substrate. We built a simple physical model - a flexible, oval silicone plate with a motorized, variable-speed actuator - to isolate the effect of undulation frequency on burial. In both the model and actuated dead flatfish, increased undulation frequency resulted in an increase in the area of sand coverage. Complete coverage required an undulation frequency of no more than 10Hz for our models, and that was also sufficient for live flatfishes. The model shows that undulation is sufficient to bury the animal, but live flatfishes showed a superior ability to bury, which we attribute to the action of the median fins.

References

Jul 1, 1983·Journal of Neurophysiology·M H Droge, R B Leonard
Sep 10, 2003·Marine Environmental Research·Colin Levings, Stacey Ong
Jan 29, 2011·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Nicholas J GidmarkElizabeth L Brainerd
Jun 26, 2015·Physical Biology·Sarah S SharpeDaniel I Goldman

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Citations

Aug 15, 2018·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Katherine A CornAlice C Gibb
Mar 1, 2020·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Henry C AstleyDaniel I Goldman
May 2, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Kory M EvansMatt Friedman

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