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Cited by 14Biomimetic flight and propulsion mechanismsFish Biology and Ecology StudiesIchthyology and Marine Biology

A comparison of pectoral fin ray morphology and its impact on fin ray flexural stiffness in labriform swimmers

Aiello, Brett R., Hardy, Adam R., Cherian, Chery, Olsen, Aaron M., Orsbon, Courtney P., Hale, Melina E., Westneat, Mark W.·2018·Journal of Morphology
DOI 10.1002/jmor.20830
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Abstract

The organization of tissues in appendages often affects their mechanical properties and function. In the fish family Labridae, swimming behavior is associated with pectoral fin flexural stiffness and morphology, where fins range on a continuum from stiff to relatively flexible fins. Across this diversity, pectoral fin flexural stiffness decreases exponentially along the length of any given fin ray, and ray stiffness decreases along the chord of the fin from the leading to trailing edge. In this study, we examine the morphological properties of fin rays, including the effective modulus in bending (E), second moment of area (I), segmentation, and branching patterns, and their impact on fin ray stiffness. We quantify intrinsic pectoral fin ray stiffness in similarly sized fins of two closely related species that employ fins of divergent mechanics, the flapping Gomphosus varius and the rowing Halichoeres bivittatus. While segmentation patterns and E were similar between species, measurements of I and the number of fin ray branch nodes were greater in G. varius than in H. bivittatus. A multiple regression model found that of these variables, I was always significantly correlated with fin ray flexural stiffness and that variation in I always explained the majority of the variation in flexural stiffness. Thus, while most of the morphological variables quantified in this study correlate with fin ray flexural stiffness, second moment of area is the greatest factor contributing to variation in flexural stiffness. Further, interspecific variation in fin ray branching pattern could be used as a means of tuning the effective stiffness of the fin webbing to differences in swimming behavior and hydrodynamics. The comparison of these results to other systems begins to unveil fundamental morphological features of biological beams and yields insight into the role of mechanical properties in fin deformation for aquatic locomotion.

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  • These morphological changes correlate with functional changes, specifically increased flexural stiffness of fin rays.

    “These morphological changes correlate with functional changes, specifically increased flexural stiffness (i.e., resistance to bending) of fin rays (56).”

    From Fin ray patterns at the fin-to-limb transition (2020) · cites this paper as [56]

  • These asymmetries, by locally increasing CSA, increase flexural stiffness and provide resistance to buckling in dorsal rays when loaded from the ventral side.

    “we propose that these asymmetries, by locally increasing CSA, increase flexural stiffness (SI Appendix, Fig. S8) (56) and provide resistance to buckling in dorsal rays when loaded from the ventral side.”

    From Fin ray patterns at the fin-to-limb transition (2020) · cites this paper as [56]

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Authors
Aiello, B. R., Hardy, A. R., Cherian, C., Olsen, A. M., Orsbon, C. P., Hale, M. E., & Westneat, M. W.
Affiliations
  • University of Chicago (US)
  • Brown University (US)
Corresponding author
  • Aiello, Brett R.
  • Westneat, Mark W.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Morphology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2018-04-25
Volume
279
Issue
8
Pages
1031-1044
ISSN
  • 0362-2525 (ISSN-L)
  • 1097-4687
DOI
10.1002/jmor.20830
OpenAlex
W2799689911
Cited by
14
References
47
Citations by year
2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1
FWCI
1.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Morphology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (DGE‐0903637, IOS 1425049, DEB 1541547, IOS 1257886)
  • Office of Naval Research (N00014‐0910352)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Biomimetic flight and propulsion mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ichthyology and Marine Biology
Keywords
pectoral fin rays, bending stiffness, Labridae, second moment of area, swimming mechanics, fin morphology, aquatic locomotion
MeSH terms
Animals, Biomechanical Phenomena, Locomotion, Perciformes, Swimming, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Multivariate Analysis, Body Patterning, Elastic Modulus, Animal Fins

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