QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Law, T. Articles by Blake, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Law, T. Articles by Blake, R. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 199, Issue 12 2595-2604, Copyright © 1996 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Comparison of the fast-start performances of closely related, morphologically distinct threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus spp.)

T Law and R Blake

Fast-start escape performances for two species of threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus spp., were investigated using high-speed cinematography (400 Hz). The two fishes (not yet formally described, referred to here as benthic and limnetic) inhabit different niches within Paxton Lake, British Columbia, Canada, and are recent, morphologically distinct species. All escape responses observed for both species were double-bend C-type fast-starts. There were no significant differences between the species for any linear or angular parameter (pooled averages, both species: duration 0.048 s, distance 0.033 m, maximum velocity 1.10 m s-1, maximum acceleration 137 m s-2, maximum horizontal angular velocity 473.6 rad s-1 and maximum overall angular velocity 511.1 rad s-1). Benthics and limnetics have the greatest added mass (Ma) at 0.3 and 0.6 body lengths, respectively. The maximum Ma does not include the fins for benthics, but for limnetics the dorsal and anal fins contribute greatly to the maximum Ma. The deep, posteriorly placed fins of limnetics enable them to have a fast-start performance equivalent to that of the deeper-bodied benthics. Both the limnetic and benthic fishes have significantly higher escape fast-start velocities than their ancestral form, the anadromous threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus, suggesting that the high performance of the Paxton Lake sticklebacks is an evolutionarily derived trait. In this biomechanical study of functional morphology, we demonstrate that similar high fast-start performance can be achieved by different suites of morphological characteristics and suggest that predation might be the selective force for the high escape performance in these two fishes.
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Domenici, H. Turesson, J. Brodersen, and C. Bronmark Predator-induced morphology enhances escape locomotion in crucian carp Proc R Soc B, January 22, 2008; 275(1631): 195 - 201. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. E. Higham The integration of locomotion and prey capture in vertebrates: Morphology, behavior, and performance Integr. Comp. Biol., July 1, 2007; 47(1): 82 - 95. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Walker Functional Morphology and Virtual Models: Physical Constraints on the Design of Oscillating Wings, Fins, Legs, and Feet at Intermediate Reynolds Numbers Integr. Comp. Biol., April 1, 2002; 42(2): 232 - 242. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]