Integrating energetics and biomechanics to explore solutions employed by fishes to increase locomotor performance

Valentina Di Santo

Stockholm University, Sweden

Fishes display exceptional locomotor abilities, which have significantly contributed to their evolutionary success. In my talk, I will discuss how integrating detailed 3D analyses of fish swimming movements and energetics with robotics sheds light on how fishes manage impressive locomotor tasks such as large-scale migrations, rapid maneuvers, and energy-efficient interactions with environmental structures and abiotic gradients.

I will also explore how flow and climate change stressors affect locomotor performance, focusing on the adaptive strategies fishes use to enhance their swimming efficiency. This investigation reveals that fishes are far from experiencing their environment passively. Instead, they exhibit sophisticated behavioral and physiological tactics to effectively utilize diverse environmental conditions.