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Coordination of multiple appendages in drag-based swimming
Silas Alben1, Kevin Spears, Stephen Garth
1School of Mathematics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0160, USA. alben@math.gatech.edu
Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
|April 24, 2010
Summary
Krill swimming relies on efficient locomotion. Metachronal leg movements, where legs move sequentially, generate higher average speeds compared to synchronous movements, crucial for long-distance migrations.
Area of Science:
- Marine biology
- Biophysics
- Animal locomotion
Background:
- Krill undertake extensive daily migrations, necessitating efficient swimming.
- Locomotory performance is vital for krill survival in aquatic environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the swimming kinematics of krill.
- To compare the efficiency of different leg movement patterns (metachronal vs. synchronous) for krill locomotion.
Main Methods:
- Experimental quantification of propulsor kinematics in tethered and freely swimming krill.
- Formulation of a drag coefficient model to analyze swimming efficiency.
- Comparison of metachronal, synchronous, and intermediate leg motions using computational models.
Main Results:
- Krill exhibit nearly metachronal leg kinematics during swimming.
- Metachronal kinematics yield higher average body speeds than synchronous kinematics under fixed leg velocity amplitude for both linear and quadratic drag.
- Metachronal kinematics also provide higher speeds with fixed time-averaged work, though the advantage diminishes compared to synchronous motion.
Conclusions:
- Metachronal leg coordination is a highly efficient swimming strategy for krill.
- This kinematic pattern optimizes speed and energy expenditure during migration.
- Understanding krill locomotion provides insights into crustacean biomechanics.
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