Mechanical and energetic factors underlying gait transitions in bluegill sunfish (<i>Lepomis macrochirus</i>)

Kendall, Jennifer L.; Lucey, Kaitlyn S.; Jones, Emily A.; Wang, Jasmine; Ellerby, David J.

doi:10.1242/jeb.009498

Cited by 45 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Pectoral fin-beat frequency is positively related to swimming speed and/or oxygen consumption in several species of labriform fishes (e.g. Mussi et al, 2002;Kendall et al, 2007;Tudorache et al, 2009;Johansen et al, 2010). Some authors have suggested that the relationships between fin-beat frequency, oxygen consumption rate and swimming speed in a given fish species may provide useful indicators of swimming energetics in the wild, which are extremely difficult to estimate in aquatic species (Steinhausen et al, 2005;Ohlberger et al, 2007;Tudorache et al, 2009;Layton, 2011).…”

Section: Research Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

Unsteady flow affects swimming energetics in a labriform fish (Cymatogaster aggregata)

Roche

Taylor

Binning

et al. 2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Unsteady water flows are common in nature, yet the swimming performance of fishes is typically evaluated at constant, steady speeds in the laboratory. We examined how cyclic changes in water flow velocity affect the swimming performance and energetics of a labriform swimmer, the shiner surfperch, Cymatogaster aggregata, during station holding. Using intermittent-flow respirometry, we measured critical swimming speed (U crit ), oxygen consumption rates (Ṁ O2 ) and pectoral fin use in steady flow versus unsteady flows with either low-[0.5 body lengths (BL) s−1 ] or high-amplitude (1.0 BL s −1 ) velocity fluctuations, with a 5 s period. Individuals in low-amplitude unsteady flow performed as well as fish in steady flow. However, swimming costs in high-amplitude unsteady flow were on average 25.3% higher than in steady flow and 14.2% higher than estimated values obtained from simulations based on the non-linear relationship between swimming speed and oxygen consumption rate in steady flow. Time-averaged pectoral fin use (fin-beat frequency measured over 300 s) was similar among treatments. However, measures of instantaneous fin use (fin-beat period) and body movement in highamplitude unsteady flow indicate that individuals with greater variation in the duration of their fin beats were better at holding station and consumed less oxygen than fish with low variation in fin-beat period. These results suggest that the costs of swimming in unsteady flows are context dependent in labriform swimmers, and may be influenced by individual differences in the ability of fishes to adjust their fin beats to the flow environment.

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Section: Research Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

Unsteady flow affects swimming energetics in a labriform fish (Cymatogaster aggregata)

Roche

Taylor

Binning

et al. 2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…This species swims in the labriform mode at low speeds, generating lift and thrust by beating the pectoral fins (Gibb et al, 1994;Drucker and Lauder, 1999;Drucker and Lauder, 2000). As swimming speed increases, bluegill change gait from labriform swimming to combined use of their pectoral fins and undulations of the body axis (Gibb et al, 1994;Jones et al, 2007;Kendall et al, 2007). Gait changes may maximize locomotor economy and/or be driven by mechanical factors such as the limits to muscle power or the need to minimize mechanical stresses (Alexander, 1989).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gait changes may maximize locomotor economy and/or be driven by mechanical factors such as the limits to muscle power or the need to minimize mechanical stresses (Alexander, 1989). When swimming at their acclimation temperature (T a ), the labriform-undulatory gait change in bluegill is primarily driven by the need to recruit additional muscle mass to meet the power requirements of higher speed swimming (Kendall et al, 2007). In ectotherms, environmental temperature is an additional factor determining gait transition speed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An early recruitment of anaerobic muscle at low temperatures has been identified during undulatory fish swimming , but the effects of temperature on transitions between different styles of aerobically supported swimming have not been quantified. Understanding how temperature affects gait transitions of this type is important because the speeds at or around the gait transition appear to coincide with the minimum total cost of transport in a number of species, including bluegill (Brett and Sutherland, 1965;Korsmeyer et al, 2002;Kendall et al, 2007). Temperature-related changes in gait transition speed are therefore likely to be significant for the energy budgets of gait transitioning species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similar constraints are unlikely to apply to the labriform-undulatory gait transition in bluegill as this occurs at less than one third of their maximal aerobic capacity (Kendall et al, 2007). We therefore hypothesized that the relationships of labriform-undulatory gait transition speed (U trans ) and maximum aerobic swimming speed (U max ) to water temperature would be different from one another, particularly at high temperatures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effects of acute temperature change on swimming performance in bluegill sunfishLepomis macrochirus

Jones

Jong

Ellerby

2008

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYMany fish change gait within their aerobically supported range of swimming speeds. The effects of acute temperature change on this type of locomotor behavior are poorly understood. Bluegill sunfish swim in the labriform mode at low speeds and switch to undulatory swimming as their swimming speed increases. Maximum aerobic swimming speed (U max ), labriform-undulatory gait transition speed (U trans ) and the relationships between fin beat frequency and speed were measured at 14, 18, 22, 26 and 30°C in bluegill acclimated to 22°C. At temperatures below the acclimation temperature (T a ), U max , U trans and the caudal and pectoral fin beat frequencies at these speeds were reduced relative to the acclimation level. At temperatures above T a there was no change in these variables relative to the acclimation level. Supplementation of oxygen levels at 30°C had no effect on swimming performance. The mechanical power output of the abductor superficialis, a pectoral fin abductor muscle, was measured in vitro at the same temperatures used for the swimming experiments. At and below T a , maximal power output was produced at a cycle frequency approximately matching the in vivo pectoral fin beat frequency. At temperatures above T a muscle power output and cycle frequency could be increased above the in vivo levels at U trans . Our data suggest that the factors triggering the labriform-undulatory gait transition change with temperature. Muscle mechanical performance limited labriform swimming speed at T a and below, but other mechanical or energetic factors limited labriform swimming speed at temperatures above T a .

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How Animals Move: Comparative Lessons on Animal Locomotion

Schaeffer

Lindstedt

2013

Comprehensive Physiology

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Comparative physiology often provides unique insights in animal structure and function. It is specifically through this lens that we discuss the fundamental properties of skeletal muscle and animal locomotion, incorporating variation in body size and evolved difference among species. For example, muscle frequencies in vivo are highly constrained by body size, which apparently tunes muscle use to maximize recovery of elastic recoil potential energy. Secondary to this constraint, there is an expected linking of skeletal muscle structural and functional properties. Muscle is relatively simple structurally, but by changing proportions of the few muscle components, a diverse range of functional outputs is possible. Thus, there is a consistent and predictable relation between muscle function and myocyte composition that illuminates animal locomotion. When animals move, the mechanical properties of muscle diverge from the static textbook force-velocity relations described by A. V. Hill, as recovery of elastic potential energy together with force and power enhancement with activation during stretch combine to modulate performance. These relations are best understood through the tool of work loops. Also, when animals move, locomotion is often conveniently categorized energetically. Burst locomotion is typified by high-power outputs and short durations while sustained, cyclic, locomotion engages a smaller fraction of the muscle tissue, yielding lower force and power. However, closer examination reveals that rather than a dichotomy, energetics of locomotion is a continuum. There is a remarkably predictable relationship between duration of activity and peak sustainable performance.

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Mechanical and energetic factors underlying gait transitions in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus)

Cited by 45 publications

References 40 publications

Unsteady flow affects swimming energetics in a labriform fish (Cymatogaster aggregata)

Unsteady flow affects swimming energetics in a labriform fish (Cymatogaster aggregata)

The effects of acute temperature change on swimming performance in bluegill sunfishLepomis macrochirus

How Animals Move: Comparative Lessons on Animal Locomotion

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