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Science 16 July 1993:
Vol. 261. no. 5119, pp. 340 - 343
DOI: 10.1126/science.8332898
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Articles

Science, Vol 261, Issue 5119, 340-343
Copyright © 1993 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

How fish power swimming

LC Rome, D Swank, and D Corda

Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104.

It is thought that fish generate the power needed for steady swimming with their anterior musculature, whereas the posterior musculature only transmits forces to the tail and does negative work. Isolated red muscle bundles driven through the length changes and stimulation pattern that muscles normally undergo during steady swimming showed the opposite pattern. Most of the power for swimming came from muscle in the posterior region of the fish, and relatively little came from the anterior musculature. In addition, the contractile properties of the muscle along the length of the fish are significantly adapted to enhance power generation.


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)