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The effects of steady swimming on fish escape performance

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Abstract

Escape maneuvers are essential to the survival and fitness of many animals. Escapes are frequently initiated when an animal is already in motion. This may introduce constraints that alter the escape performance. In fish, escape maneuvers and steady, body caudal fin (BCF) swimming are driven by distinct patterns of curvature of the body axis. Pre-existing muscle activity may therefore delay or diminish a response. To quantify the performance consequences of escaping in flow, escape behavior was examined in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) in both still-water and during steady swimming. Escapes executed during swimming were kinematically less variable than those made in still-water. Swimming escapes also had increased response latencies and lower peak velocities and accelerations than those made in still-water. Performance was also lower for escapes made up rather than down-stream, and a preference for down-stream escapes may be associated with maximizing performance. The constraints imposed by pre-existing motion and flow, therefore, have the potential to shape predator–prey interactions under field conditions by shifting the optimal strategies for both predators and prey.

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by the Department of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College, a Wellesley College Faculty Research Grant, and National Science Foundation grant 1354274 to DE. All procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Wellesley College.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, 02481, USA

    Sanam B. Anwar, Kelsey Cathcart, Karin Darakananda, Ashley N. Gaing, Seo Yim Shin, Xena Vronay, Dania N. Wright & David J. Ellerby

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  1. Sanam B. Anwar
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  2. Kelsey Cathcart
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  3. Karin Darakananda
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  4. Ashley N. Gaing
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  8. David J. Ellerby
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Correspondence to David J. Ellerby.

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Anwar, S.B., Cathcart, K., Darakananda, K. et al. The effects of steady swimming on fish escape performance. J Comp Physiol A 202, 425–433 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-016-1090-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-016-1090-3

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