Constraints on starting and stopping: behavior compensates for reduced pectoral fin area during braking of the bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus

T. E. Higham
2005 Journal of Experimental Biology  
Much of the locomotion of animals in nature involves starts and stops, which are often associated either with physical obstacles in the environment or the use of resources. However, laboratory investigations of animal locomotion commonly go to great lengths to elicit steady locomotion of animals in areas devoid of obstacles that might impede the forward progress. Consequently, even for groups of animals such as fishes, for which locomotion has been studied intensively (reviewed in Webb and
more » ... , 1983; Videler, 1993; Blake, 2004; Lauder, 2005) , data on unsteady locomotion are rare compared to those for steady locomotion, and most of what is known about unsteady locomotion is for accelerating rather than decelerating (e.g. Tytell, 2004) . Furthermore, no previous study of fish has quantified the accelerations involved in both starting and stopping. Despite the scarcity of literature on the mechanisms and performance of stopping, stopping is a pervasive phenomenon since it always occurs prior to the stationary period. Furthermore, stopping ability is important so that animals do not collide with obstacles and can arrive predictably at a particular location. Although it may seem counterintuitive, stopping ability theoretically could constrain maximal and average speed over short travel distances (Fig. •1 ), which may arise either from physical barriers in the environment or from the behavior of the animal. When most fish stop, the fins extend away from the body as it is held in an S-shape posture. Thus, the fins of most fishes are involved in stopping, and several features of fins make them well-suited for studying the interrelationships between structure, behavior and locomotor function. The fins of rayfinned fishes are versatile control surfaces for actively
doi:10.1242/jeb.01966 pmid:16326955 fatcat:2z3rjg5kjrad5fcgjo5j2a6eqi