The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience
To save energy, fish use their heads
Scientists used to think a fish’s head motions were just a byproduct of swimming.
Using 3-D printed fish, University of Florida scientists Otar Akanyeti, James Liao and collaborators at Harvard showed that head motion can make a fish’s movement and respiration more efficient. The Nature Communications study sheds light on how other undulating animals — as well as machines — might use movement design to save energy.