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Cited by 91Biomimetic flight and propulsion mechanismsMarine Invertebrate Physiology and EcologyMicro and Nano Robotics

Cost of locomotion: unsteady medusan swimming

Daniel, Thomas L.·1985·Journal of Experimental Biology
DOI 10.1242/jeb.119.1.149
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Abstract

ABSTRACT The influence of unsteady (time varying) motion on the energetics of swimming was investigated with measurements and theoretical estimates of the specific cost of locomotion for two species of hydrozoan medusae: Gonionemus vertens L. Agassiz and Stomotoca atra L. Agassiz. These species, both about 1 g, provide a broad range of swimming speeds for which locomotor energetics can be explored. The cost of locomotion (a dimensionless ratio defined as the rate of energy consumption divided by the product of an animal’s weight and speed) was estimated from the oxygen consumption rate of medusae tethered to a force platform. Swimming beat frequency, as monitored by the force platform, was correlated with velocity obtained from ciné-films of freely swimming medusae. The specific cost of locomotion was 6-3 (dimensionless), nearly one order of magnitude greater than the extrapolated cost of locomotion for a vertebrate swimmer of equivalent body mass. The great magnitude of this cost is attributed to two aspects of the periodic pulsatile pattern of locomotion by these cnidarians: (1) the energy expenditure for periodic accelerations of the animal’s mass and some mass of fluid about it and (2) the energy dissipated in bell deformations and recovery strokes. Nearly 25% of the augmented cost is attributed to the energy required to overcome an unsteady flow force, that is the force required to accelerate fluid about the animal. Such a high cost of locomotion is apparently a general consequence of swimming with a discontinuous production of thrust. The mechanics of discontinuous swimming are explored by measuring the hydrodynamic coefficients associated with unsteady flows (added-mass coefficients) for models of medusae. The results suggest that the effects of vortex formation and shedding may significantly increase the magnitude of the forces produced by or resisting unsteady animal locomotion.

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  • The idea of approximating a jellyfish as a hemiellipsoid has been used by Colin and Costello, Daniel, and McHenry and Jed.

    “The idea of approximating a jellyfish as a hemiellipsoid, while an idealization, has been used by Colin and Costello [6], Daniel [14], and McHenry and Jed [25].”

    From Reynolds number limits for jet propulsion: a numerical study of simplified jellyfish (2011) · cites this paper as [14]

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Authors
Daniel, T. L.
Affiliations
Duke University (US)
Corresponding author
Daniel, Thomas L.
ORCID
Daniel, Thomas L.
Venue
Journal of Experimental Biology
Publisher
The Company of Biologists
Published
1985-11-01
Volume
119
Issue
1
Pages
149-164
ISSN
  • 0022-0949 (ISSN-L)
  • 1477-9145
DOI
10.1242/jeb.119.1.149
OpenAlex
W2157864611
Cited by
91
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 2
FWCI
4.68
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.biologists.com/user-licence-1-1/ (vor)
Locations
  • Journal of Experimental Biology (publishedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Biomimetic flight and propulsion mechanisms
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Condensed Matter Physics › Micro and Nano Robotics
Keywords
cost of locomotion, unsteady flow, added mass coefficient, vortex shedding, swimming energetics, oxygen consumption, hydrodynamic coefficients, force plate

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