Synchronized swimming: coordination of pelvic and pectoral fins during augmented punting by the freshwater stingray Potamotrygon orbignyi

Macesic, Laura J.; Mulvaney, Dana; Blevins, Erin

doi:10.1016/j.zool.2012.11.002

Cited by 17 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Most of the work on live animals has focused on sharks rather than batoids, perhaps owing to the fact that pelagic rays are generally difficult to maintain in laboratory settings and smaller benthic batoids often prefer to 'punt' (or walk) on the substrate rather than swim in the water column (Koester and Spirito, 2003;Macesic and Kajiura, 2010;Macesic and Summers, 2012;Macesic et al, 2013), making studies of free-swimming challenging to conduct. To date, only a few studies have attempted to quantify swimming kinematics of batoids (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Batoid locomotion: effects of speed on pectoral fin deformation in the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea

Santo

Blevins

Lauder

2017

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Most batoids have a unique swimming mode in which thrust is generated by either oscillating or undulating expanded pectoral fins that form a disc. Only one previous study of the freshwater stingray has quantified three-dimensional motions of the wing, and no comparable data are available for marine batoid species that may differ considerably in their mode of locomotion. Here, we investigate threedimensional kinematics of the pectoral wing of the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea, swimming steadily at two speeds [1 and 2 body lengths (BL) s]. We measured the motion of nine points in three dimensions during wing oscillation and determined that there are significant differences in movement amplitude among wing locations, as well as significant differences as speed increases in body angle, wing beat frequency and speed of the traveling wave on the wing. In addition, we analyzed differences in wing curvature with swimming speed. At 1 BL s −1 , the pectoral wing is convex in shape during the downstroke along the medio-lateral fin midline, but at 2 BL s −1 the pectoral fin at this location cups into the flow, indicating active curvature control and fin stiffening. Wing kinematics of the little skate differed considerably from previous work on the freshwater stingray, which does not show active cupping of the whole fin on the downstroke.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Batoid locomotion: effects of speed on pectoral fin deformation in the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea

Santo

Blevins

Lauder

2017

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Despite this augmented feature, kinematics such as distance and speed per punt are not greater than in the true punters. The pectorals are likely generating thrust, thus reducing the amount of force experienced by the pelvic fins alone during a punt (Macesic et al, ). Moreover, several pelagic rays likely do not perform any form of punting.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pelvic girdle shape predicts locomotion and phylogeny in batoids

Ekstrom

Kajiura

2013

Journal of Morphology

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In terrestrial vertebrates, the pelvic girdle can reliably predict locomotor mode. Because of the diminished gravitational effects on positively buoyant bony fish, the same relationship does not appear to exist. However, within the negatively buoyant elasmobranch fishes, benthic batoids employ pelvic fin bottom-walking and punting as primary or supplementary forms of locomotion. Therefore, in this study, we employed geometric and linear morphometrics to investigate if their pelvic girdles exhibit shape characteristics similar to those of sprawling terrestrial vertebrates. We tested for correlates of pelvic girdle shape with 1) Order, 2) Family, 3) Swim Mode, and/or 4) Punt Mode. Landmarks and semilandmarks were placed along outlines of dorsal views of 61 batoid pelvic girdles (3/3 orders, 10/13 families, 35/72 genera). The first three relative warps explained 88.45% of the variation among individuals (P < 0.01%). Only Order and Punt Mode contained groups that were all significantly different from each other (P < 0.01%). Discriminant function analyses indicated that the majority of variation within each category was due to differences in extension of lateral and prepelvic processes and puboischiac bar angle. Over 60% of the original specimens and 55% of the cross-validated specimens were correctly classified. The neutral angle of the propterygium, which articulates with the pelvic girdle, was significantly different among punt modes, whereas only pectoral fin oscillators had differently shaped pelvic girdles when compared with batoids that perform other swimming modes (P < 0.01). Pelvic girdles of batoids vary greatly, and therefore, likely function in ways not previously described in teleost fishes. This study illustrates that pelvic girdle shape is a good predictor of punt mode, some forms of swimming mode, and a species' Order. Such correlation between locomotor style and pelvic girdle shape provides evidence for the convergent evolution of morphological features that support both sprawled-gait terrestrial walking and aquatic bottom-walking.

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“…However, this species also uses the pectoral fins for swimming synchronously with the pelvic fins. Potamotrygon motoro uses the coordination of both pelvic and pectoral fins for locomotion, which was also observed in the augmented punter P. orbignyi (MACESIC et al 2013). Despite the fact that P. motoro travels faster than P. orbignyi, its velocity is comparable to true punters, but due to the synchronized use of pelvic and pectoral fins, P. motoro is considered an augmented punter.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Despite the intermediate speed of augmented punting in P. orbignyi (0.26 DL/s) (MACESIC et al 2013), compared to slow synchronized pelvic movement (~0.20 DL/s, U. jamaicensis and D. sabina) and fast true punters (~0.40 DL/s, R. eglanteria and R. radula) (MACESIC & KAJIURA 2010, BILECENOGLU & EKSTROM 2013, P. motoro is fast (~0.43 DL/s), probably as a consequence of its foraging behavior to capture prey; the usual synchronized swimming is probably slower. The low distance traveled by P. motoro can possibly be explained by the abrupt cessation of locomotion to capture prey during feeding behavior.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The use of pelvic fins for benthic locomotion during foraging behavior in Potamotrygon motoro (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae)

Shibuya¹,

Carvalho²,

Zuanon³

et al. 2015

Zoologia (Curitiba)

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Synchronized swimming: coordination of pelvic and pectoral fins during augmented punting by the freshwater stingray Potamotrygon orbignyi

Cited by 17 publications

References 23 publications

Batoid locomotion: effects of speed on pectoral fin deformation in the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea

Batoid locomotion: effects of speed on pectoral fin deformation in the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea

Pelvic girdle shape predicts locomotion and phylogeny in batoids

The use of pelvic fins for benthic locomotion during foraging behavior in Potamotrygon motoro (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae)

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