Characterizing the diversity in swimming behaviors used among reef fish and how variation in body shape is less predicitive of swimming behavior than commonly thought.
Swimming is considered the primary mechanism by which fishes interact with their habitat. Specifically, a fish's swimming behavior is believed to be tightly associated with various characteristics of the niche it occupies, such as habitat complexity (e.g., reef habitats vs open ocean), predator presence, and prey capture strategy based on food availability.
However, the extent of variation in swimming behaviors among reef fish has yet to be determined due to the difficulty of observing fish undisturbed in situ.
I aim to provide the first description of variation in reef fish swimming behavior and compare swimming behaviors among fishes with variable body and fin shapes.
Literature on coral reef fish behavior commonly reports that morphology is the strongest predictor of swimming behavior. Specifically, deep-bodied, laterally compressed fishes (e.g., butterflyfish) are hypothesized to be more maneuverable. In contrast, fishes with torpedo-shaped bodies (e.g., tuna) should be best at sustained swimming, and fishes with evenly distributed weight and large fin surface area (e.g., grouper) should be most efficient at rapid burst swimming. These hypotheses are constantly referenced as truths within the fish functional morphology literature but have never been empirically tested.
Further, the relationships between in situ swimming behaviors and variation in the musculoskeletal anatomy of the fins and body are unclear.
Using CT scans, I will compare the size and shape of the bones and muscles used during swimming among fish that occupy a range of behavioral space.