ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED ME WITH MY

PROJECT. I'M ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO MY BIOLOGY TEACHER, MR. DEEPAK GAIKWAD, FOR
HIS CONTINUOUS SUPPORT. HE GAVE ME ADVICE AND INTRODUCED ME TO HELPFUL
CONTACTS WHEN I STARTED THE PROJECT, AND HE HAS BEEN GUIDING AND ENCOURAGING
ME EVER SINCE.
I WISH TO THANK MY PARENTS FOR THEIR UNDIVIDED SUPPORT AND INTEREST WHO
INSPIRED ME AND ENCOURAGED ME TO GO MY OWN WAY, WITHOUT WHOM I WOULD BE
UNABLE TO COMPLETE MY PROJECT.
I'D LIKE TO EXPRESS MY SPECIAL THANKS TO MY FRIENDS FOR THEIR INVALUABLE
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS PROJECT. THEIR EXCHANGE OF INTERESTING IDEAS AND THOUGHTS
NOT ONLY MADE THE PROJECT EASIER BUT ALSO ENSURED ITS ACCURACY.
 INDEX

1) LOCOMOTION IN FISH
• INTRODUCTION

• TYPES OF SWIMMING IN FISH

• SWIMMING-RELATED ADAPTATIONS
• STYLES OF SWIMMING

• TYPES OF LOCOMOTION
• LOCOMOTION IN DIFFERENT FISH
2) FINS IN FISH AND THEIR ROLES
• INTRODUCTION

• TYPES OF FINS
• BONY FISHES
• GENERATING THRUST

• CONTROLLING MOTION
• EVOLUTION OF PAIRED FINS
• FROM FINS TO LIMBS
 LOCOMOTION IN FISH
INTRODUCTION

• AFTER 500 MILLION YEARS OF EVOLUTION, FISH HAVE BECOME GOOD AT LIVING IN
THE WATER. THEY'VE ADAPTED TO THE CHALLENGES OF THEIR WATERY
ENVIRONMENT. IN THE DENSE WATER, THEY CAN USUALLY STAY AT THE RIGHT DEPTH
AND USE THEIR BODY MOVEMENTS TO MAKE THE WATER PUSH THEM FORWARD. TO
MOVE, THEY NEED TO OVERCOME THE RESISTANCE OF THE WATER, WHICH IS CALLED
DRAG, AND THEY ALSO NEED ENERGY TO DO THIS. FISH USE THEIR MUSCLES TO MOVE,
AND THIS TAKES UP ENERGY. THERE'S A WIDE RANGE OF SWIMMING STYLES THAT
FISH CAN USE, BUT THEY HAVE TO STAY WITHIN THE LIMITS OF WHAT THEIR BODIES
AND THE WATER ALLOW..
TYPES OF SWIMMING IN FISH
1. SUSTAINED SWIMMING: FISH SWIM AT A SLOW PACE, ABOUT 6-7 TIMES THEIR BODY LENGTH PER
SECOND, AND CAN MAINTAIN THIS SPEED FOR EXTENDED PERIODS. THEIR MUSCLES GET THE ENERGY
THEY NEED FROM AEROBIC RESPIRATION. SINCE THE SPEED IS SLOW, THEY DON'T BUILD UP AN
OXYGEN DEBT QUICKLY, SO THEY DON'T GET TIRED FAST. FISH USE SUSTAINED SWIMMING WHEN THEY
NEED TO FORAGE OVER LARGE AREAS OR GO ON LONG-DISTANCE MIGRATIONS.

2. BURST SWIMMING: BURST SWIMMING IS WHEN FISH SWIM FAST, REACHING SPEEDS OF UP TO 20 TIMES
THEIR BODY LENGTH PER SECOND, BUT THEY CAN ONLY KEEP THIS UP FOR SHORT BURSTS. THIS KIND OF
SWIMMING IS USED FOR QUICK ESCAPES FROM PREDATORS, CHASING PREY, OR SWIMMING AGAINST
STRONG CURRENTS. TO POWER THIS, FISH USE ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION, WHERE THEY USE UP
CREATINE PHOSPHATE AND MUSCLE GLYCOGEN. HOWEVER, THIS TYPE OF SWIMMING MAKES FISH TIRED
VERY QUICKLY.

3. PROLONGED SWIMMING: PROLONGED SWIMMING FALLS IN BETWEEN SUSTAINED AND BURST

SWIMMING IN TERMS OF SPEED AND ENERGY USE. FISH GET THEIR ENERGY FROM A MIX OF AEROBIC AND
ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION. THEY CAN KEEP THIS UP FOR UP TO 3 HOURS, BUT LONGER BOUTS CAN LEAD
TO FATIGUE. FISH USE PROLONGED SWIMMING AS NEEDED, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION.

THESE DIFFERENT SWIMMING STYLES HELP FISH ADAPT TO VARIOUS SITUATIONS, WHETHER IT'S FINDING
FOOD, ESCAPING DANGER, OR TRAVELLING LONG DISTANCES.
SWIMMING RELATED ADAPTATIONS

• FISH SPECIES EXHIBIT A WIDE ARRAY OF SPECIALIZED

ADAPTATIONS FOR VARIOUS ASPECTS OF LOCOMOTION. WHILE
SOME FISH ARE GENERALISTS, WITH VERSATILE ABILITIES FOR
MODERATE PERFORMANCE IN DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS, OTHERS
ARE SPECIALISTS, EXCELLING IN SPECIFIC SKILLS. THESE SKILLS
CAN INCLUDE RAPID ACCELERATION AND BRAKING, SUSTAINED
HIGH-SPEED CRUISING, INTRICATE MANOEUVRING, ECONOMICAL
SWIMMING, TOP-SPEED SPRINTING, AND EVEN THE UTILIZATION
OF GROUND EFFECT TO REDUCE DRAG. CERTAIN SPECIES ARE
ADEPT AT SWIMMING BACKWARDS OR NAVIGATING IN SANDY
BOTTOMS, WHILE OTHERS POSSESS PRECISE POSITION-KEEPING
ABILITIES. SOME FISH, LIKE FLYING FISH, HAVE EVOLVED TO
GLIDE ABOVE THE WATER'S SURFACE, AND CERTAIN SPECIES
EMPLOY RECOIL REDUCTION FOR RAPID STRAIGHT-LINE
ACCELERATION. THESE DIVERSE ADAPTATIONS ARE FINELY
TUNED TO MEET THE PARTICULAR DEMANDS OF THEIR
ECOLOGICAL NICHES AND SURVIVAL STRATEGIES.
STYLES OF SWIMMING

MOST FISH SWIM THROUGH LATERAL BODY UNDULATIONS, WHILE A MINORITY RELY ON
THEIR FINS AND OTHER APPENDAGES FOR PROPULSION. UNDULATORY SWIMMERS
GENERATE WAVES OF BODY CURVATURE THROUGH COORDINATED MUSCLE ACTIVATIONS
THAT MOVE FASTER THAN THE WAVES THEMSELVES. SWIMMING SPEED VARIES BUT
GENERALLY FALLS BETWEEN 0.5 AND 0.9 TIMES THE SPEED OF THE BODY'S CURVATURE
WAVES. THE NUMBER OF WAVES ON THE BODY DEPENDS ON THE FISH'S BODY SHAPE, WITH
FAST SWIMMERS TYPICALLY HAVING ONE COMPLETE WAVE AND SHORTER-BODIED FISH
HAVING LESS THAN ONE. FISH CAN ALSO SWIM USING THEIR FINS, SUCH AS PECTORAL FIN
SWIMMING, WHERE THE FIN MOVEMENTS FOLLOW A THREE-PHASE BEAT CYCLE. LONG
DORSAL AND ANAL FINS CAN AID PROPULSION AND ARE COMBINED WITH PECTORAL FIN AND
TAIL MOVEMENTS. THE COMPLEXITY OF FISH LOCOMOTION ARISES FROM MULTIPLE WAVES
ON EACH FIN, MAKING THEM VERSATILE IN VARIOUS AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS.
TYPES OF LOCOMOTION
FISH EXHIBIT VARIOUS MODES OF LOCOMOTION BASED ON THEIR BODY SHAPE AND MOVEMENT
PATTERNS.
• ANGUILLIFORM LOCOMOTION IS SEEN IN EELS AND CYCLOSTOMES, WHERE THE ENTIRE BODY
UNDULATES IN A SERPENTINE MANNER, DRIVEN BY A METACHRONAL RHYTHM IN THE
CONTRACTION OF MYOTOMES. THIS TYPE OF SWIMMING IS EFFICIENT AT LOW SPEEDS BUT
REQUIRES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ENERGY BECAUSE THE ENTIRE BODY IS INVOLVED IN THE
MOTION.
• CARANGIFORM LOCOMOTION IS OBSERVED IN THE MAJORITY OF FISH, WHERE LATERAL
UNDULATION IS PRIMARILY RESTRICTED TO THE POSTERIOR ONE-THIRD OF THE BODY. THE TAIL
MOVES FROM SIDE TO SIDE, ALWAYS GENERATING A BACKWARDLY FACING PUSH COMPONENT,
AND THE CAUDAL FIN AMPLIFIES THIS FORCE.
• OSTRACIFORM LOCOMOTION IS FOUND IN BOXFISH AND TRUNKFISH, WHERE THE BODY IS NOT
FLEXIBLE, AND LATERAL UNDULATION IS NOT POSSIBLE. IN THIS CASE, ONLY THE TAIL FIN IS
USED TO PROPEL THE BODY FORWARD.
THESE DIFFERENT MODES OF LOCOMOTION ALLOW FISH TO ADAPT TO THEIR SPECIFIC BODY
SHAPES AND ECOLOGICAL NICHES, OPTIMIZING THEIR MOVEMENT EFFICIENCY AND ENERGY
EXPENDITURE.
LOCOMOTION IN DIFFERENT FISH

FISH EMPLOY A VARIETY OF ADAPTATIONS FOR LOCOMOTION BASED ON THEIR BODY STRUCTURES
AND ECOLOGICAL NICHES.
• IN SHARKS AND DOGFISH, THEIR STREAMLINED BODIES AND HETEROCERCAL TAIL FINS CREATE
LIFT, PITCHING THE HEAD DOWNWARD, AND THIS PITCHING FORCE IS BALANCED BY THE
PECTORAL FINS, WHICH ALSO SERVE AS ELEVATORS. THE DORSAL FINS PREVENT ROLLING WHEN
THE FISH TURNS. PELVIC FINS DO NOT CONTRIBUTE TO SWIMMING.
• SKATES AND RAYS, ALSO ELASMOBRANCHS, SHARE THE HETEROCERCAL TAIL AND TWO DORSAL
FINS BUT HAVE DORSOVENTRALLY FLATTENED BODIES WITH LARGE, FUSED PECTORAL FINS THAT
CAN PRODUCE FORWARD PROPULSION. THEIR BODY SHAPE ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR DORSAL
FINS.
• MOST BONY FISH HAVE HOMOCERCAL OR DIPHYCERCAL TAIL FINS THAT PROVIDE FORWARD
THRUST. THEIR DORSAL FINS ARE FOLDABLE AND ASSIST IN MANOEUVRING, WHILE PECTORAL
FINS FUNCTION AS BRAKES AND FOR TURNING. ANTERIOR PELVIC FINS PREVENT UPWARD LIFT
OF THE HEAD DURING BRAKING, AND THE OPERCULUM IS USED FOR QUICK TURNS. SWIM
BLADDERS MAINTAIN DEPTH.
• FLYING FISH POSSESS ENLARGED PECTORAL FINS, ALLOWING GLIDING IN THE AIR. THEIR
HOMOCERCAL CAUDAL FIN HELPS KEEP THE HEAD ABOVE WATER AND FACILITATES RAPID
UPWARD SWIMMING AND JUMPING. ENLARGED PELVIC FINS AID IN PROVIDING UPWARD
LIFT.

• SEA HORSES AND PIPEFISH HAVE ONLY A SINGLE DORSAL FIN FOR PROPULSION AND
PREHENSILE TAILS FOR GRASPING SEAWEED. SOME BONY FISH, LIKE AMIA, USE A LONG
DORSAL FIN FOR SLOW-SPEED SWIMMING, WHILE OTHERS, SUCH AS NOTOPTERUS AND
WALLAGO, HAVE AN EXTENDED ANAL FIN FOR PROPULSION. TRIGGERFISH HAVE HIGH
CAUDAL FINS, BROAD DORSAL AND ANAL FINS NEAR THE TAIL TO CREATE A POWERFUL
PUSH FOR BURSTS OF SPEED. THESE ADAPTATIONS SUIT EACH SPECIES TO ITS UNIQUE
HABITAT AND LIFESTYLE.
 FINS IN FISH AND THEIR ROLES
INTRODUCTION
FINS ARE DISTINCTIVE ANATOMICAL FEATURES OF FISH, TYPICALLY
CONSISTING OF BONY SPINES OR RAYS COVERED BY SKIN AND JOINED
TOGETHER, EITHER WEBBED AS SEEN IN MOST BONY FISH OR FLIPPER-LIKE
AS IN SHARKS. THESE FINS, EXCEPT THE TAIL FIN (CAUDAL FIN), HAVE NO
DIRECT CONNECTION TO THE SPINE AND ARE SUPPORTED BY MUSCLES.
THEIR PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO ASSIST FISH IN SWIMMING. DEPENDING ON
THEIR LOCATION IN THE FISH, FINS SERVE VARIOUS FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING
PROPULSION, TURNING, MAINTAINING AN UPRIGHT POSITION, OR STOPPING.
MOST FISH USE THEIR FINS FOR SWIMMING, WHILE FLYING FISH EMPLOY
THEIR PECTORAL FINS FOR GLIDING AND FROGFISH USE THEM FOR
CRAWLING. FINS CAN ALSO HAVE SPECIALIZED ROLES: MALE SHARKS AND
MOSQUITOFISH USE MODIFIED FINS FOR SPERM DELIVERY, THRESHER
SHARKS STUN PREY WITH THEIR CAUDAL FIN, REEF STONEFISH INJECT
VENOM WITH SPINES IN THEIR DORSAL FINS, ANGLERFISH USE THEIR
DORSAL FIN'S FIRST SPINE AS A FISHING LURE, AND TRIGGERFISH USE SPINES
IN THEIR FINS TO SECURE THEMSELVES IN CORAL CREVICES AND AVOID
PREDATORS. THESE DIVERSE FIN ADAPTATIONS ARE CRITICAL FOR THE
SURVIVAL AND FUNCTIONING OF VARIOUS FISH SPECIES.
TYPES OF FINS
FOR EVERY TYPE OF FIN, THERE ARE SEVERAL FISH SPECIES IN WHICH THIS PARTICULAR FIN HAS
BEEN LOST DURING EVOLUTION.

Pectoral fins - Pectoral fins in fish are typically located behind the operculum on both sides and share homology with
tetrapod forelimbs.
- They can create dynamic lifting forces, aiding in-depth maintenance and even enabling "flight," as
seen in flying fish and sharks.
- Some fish, like anglerfish and mudskippers, use their pectoral fins for walking, particularly in lobe-
like fins.
- Pectoral fins can be adapted into finger-like projections in certain species, like sea robins and
flying gurnards.
- Manta rays and their relatives have cephalic fins, a modification of the anterior part of the pectoral fin,
which serves unique functions.
- The adaptability and diverse roles of pectoral fins illustrate their significance in various fish species.

Pelvic fins (Ventral - Paired pelvic or ventral fins in fish are typically located beneath and behind the pectoral fins,
fins) although in certain fish families, like cods, they may be positioned in front of the pectoral fins.
- These fins are homologous to the hindlimbs of tetrapods.
- The pelvic fins serve various functions, including assisting the fish in vertical movement within
the water, making sharp turns, and stopping quickly.
- In gobies, the pelvic fins are often fused into a single sucker disk, allowing them to attach to objects.
- Pelvic fins can occupy different positions along the ventral surface of the fish. The ancestral
abdominal position is observed in fish-like minnows, the thoracic position in sunfish, and the jugular
position, where the pelvic fins are located anterior to the pectoral fins, as seen in the burbot.
Dorsal fin - Dorsal fins are situated on the fish's back and can number up to three. They play a role in
preventing the fish from rolling and assist in executing sudden turns and stops.

- In anglerfish, the front part of the dorsal fin is specially modified into an illicium and
esca, functioning like a biological fishing rod and lure to attract prey.

- The bones supporting the dorsal fin are called Pterygiophore and can exist in two to three
segments: "proximal," "middle," and "distal." In fins with spines, the distal segment may
be fused with the middle segment or may not be present at all.

Caudal fin (Tail fin) The cercal caudal fin, as seen in Anaspida, where the vertebrae extend into the caudal fin is
the tail fin, used for propulsion, located at the end of the caudal peduncle.
- There are several types of caudal fin shapes:
(A) Heterocercal caudal fin, found in sharks, where the vertebrae extend into the upper lobe
of the tail, making it longer.
(B) Hypocercal, or reversed heteroower lobe of the tail, making it longer.
(C) Protocercal caudal fin, found in amphioxus, where the vertebrae extend to the tip of
the tail, resulting in a symmetrical but not expanded tail.
(D) Homocercal caudal fin, commonly observed in most modern fishes (teleosts), where
the fin appears superficially symmetric, but the vertebrae extend only a short distance into
the upper lobe of the fin.
(E) Diphycercal caudal fin, found in bichir, lungfish, lamprey, and coelacanth, where the
vertebrae extend to the tip of the tail, resulting in a symmetrical and expanded tail. This
was common in Palaeozoic fishes.

- Homocercal tails, typical of most modern fishes, come in various shapes, such as
rounded, truncated, forked, emarginate (ending with a slight inward curve), or lunate
(shaped like a crescent moon).
Anal/cloacal fin - The anal/cloacal fin is positioned on the ventral surface of the fish, situated behind
the anus or cloaca.
- Its primary function is to stabilize the fish during swimming, assisting in
maintaining balance and control in the water.
- This fin contributes to the fish's overall hydrodynamics, enhancing its ability to
manoeuvre and swim effectively.

Adipose fin - The adipose fin is a soft, fleshy fin located on the back, situated behind the dorsal fin and
just ahead of the caudal fin.
- It is not present in many fish families but is found in nine out of the 31
euteleostean orders, including famous representatives like salmon, characids, and
catfish.
- The exact function of the adipose fin remains somewhat mysterious and has
puzzled scientists.
- A comparative study in 2013 revealed that the development of the adipose fin can occur
in two different ways.
- In the salmoniform-type development, the adipose fin forms from the larval-fin fold
simultaneously and in a similar direct manner as the other median fins.
- In the characiform-type development, the adipose fin develops later, after the larval-
fin fold has diminished, and the other median fins have already developed.
 BONY FISHES
• BONY FISHES BELONG TO THE TAXONOMIC GROUP OSTEICHTHYES, CHARACTERIZED BY HAVING
SKELETONS MADE OF BONE, AS OPPOSED TO CARTILAGINOUS FISHES, WHICH HAVE CARTILAGE-
BASED SKELETONS.
• BONY FISHES CAN BE FURTHER CATEGORIZED INTO RAY-FINNED AND LOBE-FINNED FISH.
• RAY-FINNED FISH ARE THE MORE PREVALENT GROUP, WITH OVER 30,000 SPECIES, MAKING THEM
EXTREMELY DIVERSE AND ABUNDANT. THEY REPRESENT THE LARGEST CLASS OF VERTEBRATES
IN THE WORLD TODAY.
• IN THE DISTANT PAST, LOBE-FINNED FISH WERE MORE NUMEROUS, BUT TODAY, ONLY EIGHT
LIVING SPECIES REMAIN.
• BONY FISH TYPICALLY POSSESS FIN SPINES AND RAYS KNOWN AS LEPIDOTRICHIA. THEY OFTEN
HAVE SWIM BLADDERS, ENABLING THEM TO ACHIEVE A NEUTRAL BALANCE BETWEEN SINKING
AND FLOATING WITHOUT RELYING ON THEIR FINS. HOWEVER, SWIM BLADDERS ARE ABSENT IN
CERTAIN FISH, NOTABLY LUNGFISHES, WHICH HAVE RETAINED THE PRIMITIVE LUNG FOUND IN
THE COMMON ANCESTOR OF BONY FISH.
• BONY FISH ARE EQUIPPED WITH AN OPERCULUM, A PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE THAT AIDS IN
RESPIRATION, ALLOWING THEM TO BREATHE WITHOUT RELYING ON THEIR FINS FOR SWIMMING.
LOBE-FINNED FISHES AND RAY-FINNED FISHES ARE TWO MAJOR CLASSES OF BONY FISHES, BUT
THEY HAVE SOME DISTINCT ANATOMICAL DIFFERENCES:

LOBE-FINNED FISHES (CLASS: SARCOPTERYGII):

• FINS: LOBE-FINNED FISHES HAVE FLESHY, LOBED, PAIRED FINS, WHICH ARE SUPPORTED BY A
SINGLE BONE AND ARE ATTACHED TO THE BODY BY A FLESHY, LOBELIKE, SCALY STALK.
• ARTICULATIONS: THE PECTORAL AND PELVIC FINS OF LOBE-FINNED FISHES HAVE
ARTICULATIONS THAT RESEMBLE THE STRUCTURE OF TETRAPOD LIMBS, MAKING THEM MORE
LIMB-LIKE IN APPEARANCE.
• EVOLUTIONARY SIGNIFICANCE: THESE LOBED FINS ARE BELIEVED TO BE THE PRECURSORS TO
THE LIMBS OF THE FIRST TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATES, AMPHIBIANS, AS THEY FACILITATED THE
TRANSITION FROM WATER TO LAND.
• DORSAL FINS: LOBE-FINNED FISHES TYPICALLY HAVE TWO DORSAL FINS WITH SEPARATE BASES.
AN EXAMPLE OF A LOBE-FINNED FISH THAT STILL EXISTS TODAY IS THE COELACANTH, A UNIQUE
AND ANCIENT SPECIES.
RAY-FINNED FISHES (CLASS: ACTINOPTERYGII):
• FINS: RAY-FINNED FISHES HAVE FINS SUPPORTED BY SPINES OR RAYS. THESE FINS MAY CONTAIN
ONLY SPINY RAYS, ONLY SOFT RAYS, OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH. SPINES ARE GENERALLY STIFF
AND SHARP, WHILE RAYS ARE SOFT, FLEXIBLE, SEGMENTED, AND SOMETIMES BRANCHED.
• USES OF SPINES: SPINES IN RAY-FINNED FISHES SERVE VARIOUS PURPOSES. FOR EXAMPLE, SOME
SPECIES USE SPINES FOR DEFENCE, AND CERTAIN FISH CAN LOCK THEIR SPINES OUTWARD AS A
PROTECTIVE MECHANISM.
• LACK OF LIMB-LIKE ARTICULATIONS: UNLIKE LOBE-FINNED FISHES, THE FINS OF RAY-FINNED
FISHES ARE NOT TYPICALLY ARTICULATED LIKE TETRAPOD LIMBS.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF MODERN FISH BELONG TO THE CLASS OF RAY-FINNED FISHES
(ACTINOPTERYGII), AND THEY HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF ADAPTATIONS AND FORMS FOR VARIOUS
AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS.

IN SUMMARY, THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOBE-FINNED AND RAY-FINNED FISHES LIES IN
THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR FINS, WITH LOBE-FINNED FISHES HAVING FLESHY LOBED FINS WITH
LIMB-LIKE ARTICULATIONS, WHILE RAY-FINNED FISHES HAVE FINS SUPPORTED BY SPINES OR SOFT
RAYS, AND THEY LACK THE LIMB-LIKE ARTICULATIONS.
 USES OF FINS
• GENERATING THRUST
1. THRUST GENERATION WITH FINS: FINS OF AQUATIC ANIMALS, INCLUDING THE TAIL FIN AND PECTORAL FINS, PLAY A
CRUCIAL ROLE IN GENERATING THRUST FOR SWIMMING. WHEN THESE FINS ARE MOVED BACK AND FORTH, THEY CREATE
LIFT, WHICH SETS THE SURROUNDING WATER OR AIR IN MOTION. THE RESULTING MOTION OF THE FLUID PUSHES THE
FIN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, PROPELLING THE ANIMAL FORWARD.
2. CAVITATION: CAVITATION IS A PHENOMENON WHERE NEGATIVE PRESSURE OR LOW-PRESSURE AREAS IN A FLUID (LIQUID
OR GAS) CAUSE BUBBLES OR CAVITIES TO FORM. THESE BUBBLES CAN THEN SUDDENLY COLLAPSE, LEADING TO VIOLENT
IMPLOSIONS. CAVITATION CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND WEAR TO SURFACES EXPOSED TO IT.
3. CAVITATION IN MARINE ANIMALS: SOME POWERFUL SWIMMING MARINE ANIMALS LIKE DOLPHINS AND TUNA CAN
EXPERIENCE CAVITATION-RELATED ISSUES, PARTICULARLY WITH THEIR TAIL FINS:
1. DOLPHINS: CAVITATION BUBBLES CAN FORM NEAR THE SURFACE OF THE OCEAN, WHERE AMBIENT WATER PRESSURE
IS RELATIVELY LOW. WHEN DOLPHINS SWIM AT HIGH SPEEDS, THE COLLAPSING CAVITATION BUBBLES ON THEIR TAIL
FINS CAN BE PAINFUL AND UNCOMFORTABLE. THIS PAIN CAN LIMIT THEIR TOP SWIMMING SPEED, EVEN IF THEY
HAVE THE PHYSICAL CAPABILITY TO SWIM FASTER.
2. TUNA: TUNA, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAVE BONY FINS WITHOUT NERVE ENDINGS, SO THEY DON'T FEEL THE PAIN
OF CAVITATION BUBBLES. HOWEVER, CAVITATION CAN STILL AFFECT THEIR SWIMMING SPEED. THE COLLAPSING
BUBBLES CREATE A VAPOUR FILM AROUND THEIR FINS, WHICH LIMITS THEIR SPEED. LESIONS CONSISTENT WITH
CAVITATION DAMAGE HAVE BEEN FOUND ON TUNA, INDICATING THE IMPACT OF THIS PHENOMENON ON THEIR
SWIMMING EFFICIENCY.
• IN BOTH CASES, CAVITATION CAN HAVE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE PERFORMANCE AND SPEED OF THESE MARINE
ANIMALS. IT'S AN INTERESTING EXAMPLE OF HOW EVEN POWERFUL SWIMMERS HAVE TO CONTEND WITH THE PHYSICAL
PROPERTIES OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT, SUCH AS CAVITATION, WHICH CAN LIMIT THEIR TOP SPEEDS AND CAUSE
DISCOMFORT.
• CONTROLLING MOTION
1. SHARKS' FIN CONTROL: SHARKS, BEING APEX PREDATORS IN THE OCEAN, HAVE EVOLVED MECHANISMS TO
CONTROL THEIR MOTION AND STABILITY AS THEY SWIM. AS SHARKS SWIM FASTER, THEIR FINS MAY STIFFEN
DYNAMICALLY TO HELP CONTROL THEIR ROLL AND YAW. THIS ADAPTATION ALLOWS THEM TO MAINTAIN
STABLE MOVEMENT AND PRECISE CONTROL EVEN AT HIGH SPEEDS.
2. REEF FISH ADAPTATIONS: REEF FISH HAVE DEVELOPED SPECIFIC ADAPTATIONS THAT MAKE THEM WELL-
SUITED FOR THEIR ENVIRONMENT WITHIN CORAL REEFS:
– BODY SHAPE: UNLIKE OPEN-WATER FISH, WHICH ARE STREAMLINED FOR SPEED, REEF FISH HAVE BODIES THAT
ARE SHAPED DIFFERENTLY. THEY ARE OFTEN DEEPER AND LATERALLY COMPRESSED, RESEMBLING A PANCAKE.
THIS BODY SHAPE ALLOWS THEM TO FIT INTO FISSURES AND NAVIGATE THROUGH THE COMPLEX
UNDERWATER LANDSCAPES OF CORAL REEFS.
– MANEUVERABILITY: IN THE CONFINED SPACES OF CORAL REEFS, MANOEUVRABILITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN
STRAIGHT-LINE SPEED. REEF FISH NEED TO DART AND CHANGE DIRECTION QUICKLY TO EVADE PREDATORS OR
HUNT FOR PREY. THEIR BODIES ARE OPTIMIZED FOR THESE QUICK MANOEUVRES.
– PECTORAL AND PELVIC FINS: THE PECTORAL AND PELVIC FINS OF MANY REEF FISH, SUCH AS BUTTERFLYFISH,
DAMSELFISH, AND ANGELFISH, HAVE EVOLVED TO ACT AS BRAKES. THESE FINS, ALONG WITH THE FLATTENED
BODY SHAPE, ENABLE THE FISH TO MAKE COMPLEX MANOEUVRES, STOP RAPIDLY, AND NAVIGATE THROUGH
THE INTRICATE STRUCTURE OF THE REEF.
– HIDING AND EVASION: REEF FISH USE THEIR AGILITY AND THE ABILITY TO FIT INTO SMALL SPACES IN ROCKS AND
CORAL TO OUTMANOEUVRE PREDATORS. THEY CAN DODGE INTO FISSURES IN THE REEF OR PLAY HIDE AND SEEK
AROUND CORAL HEADS TO ESCAPE DANGER.

• THESE ADAPTATIONS SHOWCASE HOW DIFFERENT FISH SPECIES HAVE EVOLVED TO THRIVE IN THEIR SPECIFIC
AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS. OPEN-WATER FISH PRIORITIZE SPEED AND STREAMLINED SHAPES, WHILE REEF FISH
PRIORITIZE AGILITY AND THE ABILITY TO NAVIGATE TIGHT SPACES AND COMPLEX UNDERWATER STRUCTURES
FOUND IN CORAL REEFS.
THANKYOU

ASHWIN GUPTA
XI A