On seahorse locomotion
- 1 August 1976
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
- Vol. 56 (4) , 939-949
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400020981
Abstract
There are few teleosts which depart from the ‘classical’ ichthyan body form to such an extent as the seahorse,Hippocampus. In this genus the caudal fin is absent and the tail has become prehensile, the usual function of the caudal fin is taken over by the dorsal and pectoral fins. The dorsal and pectoral fins both have a sculling action, the small anal fin moves ‘bodily’ through the water from side to side.In the past, interest has generally centred on fast moving fish, which have evolved a limited number of body forms, as few variations are possible without a sacrifice of speed. The evolution of the swimming mechanisms of these fish has favoured an increase in the maximum speed and acceleration. In relinquishing the demands of speed the seahorse has released itself from restrictions which would limit its possible range of form.This publication has 8 references indexed in Scilit:
- Limit of fish swimming speedNature, 1975
- The Swimming Energetics of TroutJournal of Experimental Biology, 1971
- SWIMMING ENERGETICS OF TROUT .1. THRUST AND POWER OUTPUT AT CRUISING SPEEDS1971
- Hydromechanics of Aquatic Animal PropulsionAnnual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 1969
- The Respiratory Metabolism and Swimming Performance of Young Sockeye SalmonJournal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 1964
- THE SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM OF A FAST-ACTING FISH MUSCLEThe Journal of cell biology, 1961
- AN ANALYSIS OF THE LOCOMOTION OF THE SEAHORSE, HIPPOCAMPUS, BY MEANS OF HIGH SPEED CINEMATOGRAPHYAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1942
- The locomotion of fishesZoologica : scientific contributions of the New York Zoological Society, 1926