Reduced skin mass: an adaptation for acceleration in some teleost fishes

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Abstract
The hypothesis is presented that skin mass is reduced in fish to improve acceleration performance when fast-starts have a key role in normal activity. The hypothesis was evaluated by measuring skin area, skin mass per unit area, and total skin mass of eight centrarchid species in which the importance of accleration would vary with piscivorous feeding habits. Observations were compared to a reference, taking into account effects of body size and shape. Variation in body area was fairly small. Skin mass per unit area varied by a factor of 2.5. Skin mass, expressed as a percentage of total mass, varied by a factor of 2.4. The more piscivorous species had a lighter skin, which would represent a saving in acceleration resistance of about 5%. Other reductions in mass, usually explained in terms of buoyancy control, will also improve acceleration performance. The variation in skin mass could not be attributed to skin flexibility.