I am working on the mechanics of swimming in wrasses and would like to know more about variation in natural swimming behavior. I am comparing the mechanics of fish that have either poorly or well developed sustained swimming ability (ability to swim at high speeds for long periods of time) but I don't know why this variation exists. I would like any information people have to offer on the swimming behavior of different wrasses (parrot fishes as well), from something as simple as fish xxx sits in a hole all day and rarely comes out to something specific like fish xxx has a measured foraging range of xxx meters squared. Why do the fish have more or less swimming activity? diet (are different inverts distributed differently - i.e. spread out or concentrated), reproduction, territory defense, etc?
I am specifically comparing _Halichoeres bivittatus_ and _Gomphosus varius_ now but will take any and all information, however trivial, on other wrasses because I am going to soon extend my analyses and this information could help decide which species to investigate. I do have many of the papers on wrasse behavior but I would welcome references to any specific information on swimming-related behavior.
If you know someone who dives frequently please forward this request on to them. Thanks in advance.
Jeff
====================================== Jeff Walker Dept. of Zoology Field Museum of Natural History Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr. Chicago, IL 60605, USA phone: 312-922-9410 x537 fax: 312-427-7269 email: [log in to unmask]
"I like practical applications in mathematics, rather than speculating about the first ten to the minus something seconds of the universe. Cosmology seems to be almost too close to theology to be interesting. To me, it is not quite science, but more like creation myth."
- Sir James Lighthill on Stephen Hawking ======================================
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