scholarly journals AQUATIC PREY TRANSPORT AND THE COMPARATIVE KINEMATICS OF AMBYSTOMA TIGRINUM FEEDING BEHAVIORS

1994 ◽  
Vol 187 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Gillis ◽  
G Lauder
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Single Species ◽  
The Other ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽  
Feeding Behaviors ◽  
Motor Patterns ◽  
Feeding Mechanism ◽  
Feeding Kinematics

Four definable feeding behaviors used during the metamorphic life history of tiger salamanders are terrestrial prey capture and transport (as adults) and aquatic prey capture and transport (as larvae). Previous studies have focused primarily on the first three of these behaviors and thus aquatic prey transport is poorly understood. These studies have indicated that terrestrial prey capture has unique kinematic and motor patterns, whereas the other behaviors are quite similar to one another. Using high-speed video analysis, the kinematics of aquatic prey transport in larval Ambystoma tigrinum are described using both lateral and ventral views. These kinematic patterns are statistically compared with the kinematic patterns of aquatic prey capture, terrestrial prey capture and terrestrial prey transport. Statistical analyses allow us to assess the similarities and differences among the four behaviors and to determine the effect of the metamorphic environmental transition (water to land) and morphological changes of the feeding mechanism (suction- to lingual-based) on feeding kinematics. Our data do not support the notion that lingual-based terrestrial prey capture uses unique kinematic patterns compared with the other three behaviors, which consist of similar movements. Rather, each of the feeding behaviors has unique kinematic features that distinguish it from the others. In addition, variation in tiger salamander feeding kinematics is more a function of the feeding event (whether it is capture or transport) than of the environment in which the feeding takes place or the morphology of the feeding mechanism. Finally, we encourage the use of parsimony-based methods of phylogenetic analysis to analyze shared traits (such as kinematic and/or electromyographic variables) in comparative studies of behavior within a single species.

scholarly journals Feeding Kinematics And Morphology Of The Alligator Gar (Atractosteus Spatula, Lacépède, 1803): Feeding Mechanics Of Atractosteus Spatula

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin B. Lemberg ◽  
Neil H. Shubin ◽  
Mark W. Westneat
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Feeding System ◽  
Primary Input ◽  
Feeding Mechanism ◽  
Alligator Gar ◽  
Feeding Kinematics ◽  
Atractosteus Spatula

ABSTRACTModern (lepisosteid) gars are a small clade of seven species and two genera that occupy an important position on the actinopterygian phylogenetic tree as members of the Holostei (Amia + gars), sister-group of the teleost radiation. Often referred to as “living fossils,” these taxa preserve many plesiomorphic characteristics used to interpret and reconstruct early osteichthyan feeding conditions. Less attention, however, has been paid to the functional implications of gar-specific morphology, thought to be related to an exclusively ram-based, lateral-snapping mode of prey capture. Previous studies of feeding kinematics in gars have focused solely on members of the narrow-snouted Lepisosteus genus, and here we expand that dataset to include a member of the broad-snouted sister-genus and largest species of gar, the alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula, Lacépède, 1803). High-speed videography reveals that the feeding system of alligator gars is capable of rapid expansion from anterior-to-posterior, precisely timed in a way that appears to counteract the effects of a bow-wave during ram-feeding and generate a unidirectional flow of water through the feeding system. Reconstructed cranial anatomy based on contrast-enhanced micro-CT data show that a lateral-sliding palatoquadrate, flexible intrasuspensorial joint, pivoting interhyal, and retractable pectoral girdle are all responsible for increasing the range of motion and expansive capabilities of the gar cranial linkage system. Muscular reconstructions and manipulation experiments show that, while the sternohyoideus is the primary input to the feeding system (similar to other “basal” actinopterygians), additional input from the hyoid constrictors and hypaxials play an important role in decoupling and modulating between the dual roles of the sternohyoideus: hyoid retraction (jaw opening) and hyoid rotation (pharyngeal expansion) respectively. The data presented here demonstrate an intricate feeding mechanism, capable of precise control with plesiomorphic muscles, that represents one of the many ways the ancestral osteichthyan feeding mechanism has been modified for prey capture.RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTSAlligator gars use a surprisingly expansive cranial linkage system for prey capture that relies on specialized joints for increased mobility and is capable of precise modulation from anterior to posterior using plesiomorphic osteichthyan musculature.

scholarly journals Scaling the feeding mechanism of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): kinematics of prey capture

1995 ◽  
Vol 198 (2) ◽  
pp. 419-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Richard ◽  
P Wainwright
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Feeding Mechanism ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Lower Jaw ◽  
Feeding Kinematics

We present the first analysis of scaling effects on prey capture kinematics of a feeding vertebrate. The scaling of feeding kinematics of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) was investigated using high-speed video (200 fields s-1) to determine what functional changes occur in the feeding mechanism as a consequence of body size. A size series of ten bass ranging from 32 to 210 mm standard length was used for the study and ten feeding sequences from each individual were analyzed to quantify movements of the feeding apparatus during prey capture. Maximal linear and angular displacements of the strike scaled isometrically. The time course of the strike was longer in larger fish. Maximal velocities of displacement were more rapid in larger fish, but their scaling exponents indicated that the intrinsic rate of muscle shortening decreased with fish size. Morphological measurements of the lever arms of the lower jaw and of the two major muscles that drive the feeding mechanism were made to relate possible biomechanical changes in the feeding mechanism to the observed kinematic relationships. The lever arms of the lower jaw and the muscles scaled isometrically; hence, the relative slowing of movements with increasing body size cannot be attributed to changes in mechanical advantage with change in body size. The scaling of feeding kinematics in the largemouth bass is in accord with the scaling of rates of muscle contraction found in other lower vertebrates. These findings demonstrate that body size can have major effects on feeding kinematics and that future comparative studies of feeding kinematics should use empirical data on size effects in kinematic comparisons between taxa.

Variation in the feeding kinematics of mole salamanders (Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma)

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. Beneski Jr. ◽  
John H. Larsen Jr. ◽  
Brian T. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Mouth Opening ◽  
General Increase ◽  
Feeding Kinematics ◽  
High Speed Cinematography ◽  
Mode A ◽  
General Reduction

High-speed cinematography was used to investigate the prey-capture kinematics of six species of mole salamanders (Ambystomatidae). We compared the feeding behavior of the subgenus Ambystoma (A. californiense and A. macrodactylum) with that of the subgenus Linguaelapsus (A. mabeei, A. texanum, A. annulatum, and A. cingulatum). Prey capture by all six species is characterized by a 3-part gape cycle (a period of rapid mouth opening prior to extraoral tongue protraction, followed by a period of relatively stable gape angle during extraoral tongue protraction and retraction, followed by a period of rapid mouth closure), a tongue-extension cycle (protraction and retraction), and anterior head–body displacement. Among the six species, two distinct modes of prey capture are evident: (1) the Ambystoma mode (A. californiense, A. macrodactylum, A. mabeei, and A. texanum), and (2) the Linguaelapsus mode (A. annulatum and A. cingulatum). Most differences in prey-capture kinematics between the two modes are primarily differences of degree rather than the addition or loss of unique behaviors, and include a general reduction in the gape angles and a general increase in the elapsed times associated with specific events in the Linguaelapsus mode. We hypothesize that these differences are primarily the result of a prolonged period of tongue protraction in the Linguaelapsus mode during which the glandular tongue pad is fitted to the prey. In addition to differing from each other, the gape profiles of the ambystomatid subgenera differ markedly from the 4-part gape profiles of plethodontids and salamandrids.

Feeding kinematics of juvenile swellsharks, Cephaloscyllium ventriosum

1997 ◽  
Vol 200 (8) ◽  
pp. 1255-1269 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Ferry-Graham
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Buccal Cavity ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Large Prey ◽  
Feeding Behaviors ◽  
Suction Index ◽  
Item Size ◽  
Prey Items ◽  
Cephaloscyllium Ventriosum

To investigate how feeding behaviors change with prey size, high-speed video recording was used to examine the kinematics of prey capture and transport in 1-year-old swellsharks Cephaloscyllium ventriosum (Scyliorhinidae: Carchariniformes) feeding on two differently sized prey items. Prey capture in these sharks generally consisted of an initially ram-dominated capture bite, one or more manipulation bites, a holding phase during which the food was held in the teeth of the shark, and then suction-dominated prey transport. During initial capture and transport, most of the water taken in is forced back out of the mouth anteriorly rather than continuing posteriorly out through the gill openings. Dye experiments in which dye-perfused prey items were ingested by the sharks confirm this observation; distinct jets of colored water were video-taped as they were ejected from the mouth. Very late in prey transport, a bolus of water is ejected through the gill slits; however, by this time, the majority of water appears already to have exited the buccal cavity through the mouth. Such patterns were observed for sharks feeding on both small and large prey items. Although a basic pattern of prey capture and transport was regularly repeated among strikes, kinematic patterns during prey capture and transport were variable both within and among individuals, indicating that prey acquisition is not tightly controlled. However, the amount of variability was similar among prey sizes. In addition, there were no detectable changes in behavior due to prey item size. Ram-suction index values confirmed that similar capture modes were being utilized for both prey sizes.

scholarly journals Extremely fast feeding strikes are powered by elastic recoil in a seahorse relative, the snipefish, Macroramphosus scolopax

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1882) ◽  
pp. 20181078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Longo ◽  
Tyler Goodearly ◽  
Peter C. Wainwright
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Muscle Power ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Head Rotation ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Elastic Recoil ◽  
Linkage Mechanism ◽  
Power Requirement ◽  
Feeding Mechanism

Among over 30 000 species of ray-finned fishes, seahorses and pipefishes have a unique feeding mechanism whereby the elastic recoil of tendons allows them to rotate their long snouts extremely rapidly in order to capture small elusive prey. To understand the evolutionary origins of this feeding mechanism, its phylogenetic distribution among closely related lineages must be assessed. We present evidence for elastic recoil-powered feeding in snipefish ( Macroramphosus scolopax ) from kinematics, dynamics and morphology. High-speed videos of strikes show they achieve extremely fast head and hyoid rotational velocities, resulting in rapid prey capture in as short a duration as 2 ms. The maximum instantaneous muscle-mass-specific power requirement for head rotation in snipefish was above the known vertebrate maximum, which is evidence that strikes are not the result of direct muscle power. Finally, we show that the over-centre conformation of the four-bar linkage mechanism coupling head elevation to hyoid rotation in snipefish can function as a torque reversal latch, preventing the head from rotating and providing the opportunity for elastic energy storage. The presence of elastic recoil feeding in snipefish means that this high-performance mechanism is not restricted to the Syngnathidae (seahorses and pipefish) and may have evolved in parallel.

scholarly journals Feeding mechanism of the atlantic guitarfish rhinobatos lentiginosus:modulation of kinematic and motor activity

1998 ◽  
Vol 201 (23) ◽  
pp. 3167-3183 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. D. Wilga ◽  
P. J. Motta
Keyword(s):  
Motor Activity ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Motor Pattern ◽  
Activation Time ◽  
Feeding Behaviors ◽  
Feeding Mechanism ◽  
High Speed Video ◽  
Jaw Protrusion

The kinematics and muscle activity pattern of the head and jaws during feeding in the Atlantic guitarfish Rhinobatos lentiginosus are described and quantified using high-speed video and electromyography to test hypotheses regarding the conservation and modulation of the feeding mechanism. Prey is captured by the guitarfish using suction. Suction capture, bite manipulation and suction transport behaviors in the guitarfish are similar to one another in the relative sequence of kinematic and motor activity, but can be distinguished from one another by variation in absolute muscle activation time, in the presence or absence of muscle activity and in the duration of muscle activity. A novel compression transport behavior was observed that is strikingly different from the other feeding behaviors and has not been described previously in elasmobranchs. The mechanism of upper jaw protrusion in the guitarfish differs from that described in other elasmobranchs. Muscle function and motor pattern during feeding are similar in the plesiomorphic cranial muscles in the guitarfish and the spiny dogfish probably because of their shared ancestral morphology. Modulation in recruitment of jaw and hyoid depressor muscles among feeding behaviors in the guitarfish may be a consequence of duplication of muscles and decoupling of the jaws and hyoid apparatus in batoids.

scholarly journals Kinematics of feeding in bluegill sunfish: is there a general distinction between aquatic capture and transport behaviors?

1995 ◽  
Vol 198 (3) ◽  
pp. 709-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Gillis ◽  
G Lauder
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Lepomis Macrochirus ◽  
Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽  
Bluegill Sunfish ◽  
Lower Vertebrate ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrates ◽  
Aquatic Vertebrates ◽  
Food Transport ◽  
Nested Analysis

Despite numerous studies of food transport in terrestrial vertebrates, little is known about this aspect of the feeding repertoire in aquatic vertebrates. Previous work had predicted that the kinematics of aquatic prey capture by suction feeding should be similar to those of prey transport. However, recent analyses of aquatic prey capture and transport in the tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum have contradicted this hypothesis, and document numerous differences between these two behaviors. In this study, using high-speed video and statistical analyses, we compare prey capture and transport kinematics in a ray-finned fish (Lepomis macrochirus, the bluegill sunfish) to examine the generality of differences between capture and transport behaviors in aquatic vertebrates. Compared with prey capture, prey transport is significantly more rapid and tends to have reduced lower jaw excursions, while having similar hyoid movements. A nested analysis of variance was used to analyze six variables common to both this analysis of Lepomis macrochirus and a previous study of Ambystoma tigrinum; none of these six variables showed significant variation between taxa. These results indicate that aquatic prey transport is kinematically distinct from capture behavior and that the distinctions between these two behaviors are remarkably consistent in two phylogenetically divergent lower vertebrate taxa. Such consistent kinematic differences have not been found in amniote taxa studied to date, but may constitute a plesiomorphic feature of vertebrate feeding systems.

scholarly journals Prey Capturing Dynamics and Nanomechanically Graded Cutting Apparatus of Dragonfly Nymph

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 559
Author(s):  
Lakshminath Kundanati ◽  
Prashant Das ◽  
Nicola M. Pugno
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
High Speed Photography ◽  
Sensory Organs ◽  
Dragonfly Nymph ◽  
Drag Forces ◽  
Predatory Insects ◽  
Dragonfly Nymphs

Aquatic predatory insects, like the nymphs of a dragonfly, use rapid movements to catch their prey and it presents challenges in terms of movements due to drag forces. Dragonfly nymphs are known to be voracious predators with structures and movements that are yet to be fully understood. Thus, we examine two main mouthparts of the dragonfly nymph (Libellulidae: Insecta: Odonata) that are used in prey capturing and cutting the prey. To observe and analyze the preying mechanism under water, we used high-speed photography and, electron microscopy. The morphological details suggest that the prey-capturing labium is a complex grasping mechanism with additional sensory organs that serve some functionality. The time taken for the protraction and retraction of labium during prey capture was estimated to be 187 ± 54 ms, suggesting that these nymphs have a rapid prey mechanism. The Young’s modulus and hardness of the mandibles were estimated to be 9.1 ± 1.9 GPa and 0.85 ± 0.13 GPa, respectively. Such mechanical properties of the mandibles make them hard tools that can cut into the exoskeleton of the prey and also resistant to wear. Thus, studying such mechanisms with their sensory capabilities provides a unique opportunity to design and develop bioinspired underwater deployable mechanisms.

scholarly journals Leader-chasing behavior in negative artificial triggered lightning flashes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fukun Wang ◽  
Jianguo Wang ◽  
Li Cai ◽  
Rui Su ◽  
Wenhan Ding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
The Other ◽  
Lightning Flash ◽  
High Speed Camera ◽  
Return Stroke ◽  
Catching Up ◽  
Special Cases ◽  
Triggered Lightning

AbstractTwo special cases of dart leader propagation were observed by the high-speed camera in the leader/return stroke sequences of a classical triggered lightning flash and an altitude-triggered lightning flash, respectively. Different from most of the subsequent return strokes preceded by only one leader, the return stroke in each case was preceded by two leaders occurring successively and competing in the same channel, which herein is named leader-chasing behavior. In one case, the polarity of the latter leader was opposite to that of the former leader and these two combined together to form a new leader, which shared the same polarity with the former leader. In the other case, the latter leader shared the same polarity with the former leader and disappeared after catching up with the former leader. The propagation of the former leader in this case seems not to be significantly influenced by the existence of the latter leader.

Liquid Behavior in Containers with a Liquid-Packing Bag for Liquid Products Subjected to Drop Impact

2006 ◽  
Vol 321-323 ◽  
pp. 1280-1283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eisaku Umezaki ◽  
Yuuma Shinoda ◽  
Katsunori Futase
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Free Fall ◽  
The Other ◽  
Impact Loads ◽  
Visualization Technique ◽  
Transparent Plastic ◽  
Plastic Films ◽  
Liquid Behavior ◽  
Liquid Products ◽  
Polyethylene Particles

The behavior of liquid in containers subjected to impact loads due to free fall was investigated using a visualization technique. Two types of containers were used. One consisted of a case made of transparent plastic plates and a liquid-packing bag made of transparent plastic films. The bag contained about 1,000 ml of liquid. The other was a case made only of transparent plastic plates. The case contained about 1,000 ml of water. The liquid consisted of water and ethanol. Polyethylene particles of about 3 mm in diameter were included in the liquid to visualize the movement of liquid in the containers. The containers were subjected to impact due to free fall, and photographs of the containers were taken using a high-speed camera. Results indicated that the behavior of liquid in the container with a liquid-packing bag is different from that of the container without a liquid-packing bag.

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