The wing-like fins of tiny reef fish that live in Australia's Great Barrier Reef permit them to cruise under water in excess of 50 MPH. Their propulsion systems have now drawn the attention of the US Navy, whose submarine designers are studying what makes these fish so fast.
In the photo: U.S. Navy submarine architects are studying these fish and may use a similar design for the Navy's newest nuclear attack submarines. The fish are thalassoma bifasciatum. Click on the image to enlarge in a separate window.
The researchers found the reef fish could move at up to 10 body lengths per second, while Olympic champions reach speeds of just 1.3 body lengths per second, and then only for the brief 22 seconds of the 50-meter freestyle sprint.
“Some species of parrotfish, wrasse and surgeonfish have developed wing-like fins which they move in a flapping motion, just like a bird,” said Chris Fulton of the Australian National University who led a study of the reef fish.
Read the full story from NewKerala.com
Resources:
Australian National University
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