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Bite force mechanics and allometry of piranha (Serrasalmidae)
Audrey Velasco-Hogan1, Marc A Meyers2
1Materials Science and Engineering Program, U. of California, San Diego, USA.
Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials
|January 19, 2021
Abstract:
The bite force of the piranha (Serrasalmidae) has drawn considerable attention due to its ability to effectively capture and masticate prey. Herein, we analyze theoretical anterior bite forces using a lever approach and compare them to in-vivo maximum bite forces. We provide a mechanics analysis that explains the scaling allometry of the bite force (Foutput) with the length of the fish (l), Foutputαl2.
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