Endurance at intermediate swimming speeds of Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus L., herring, Clupea harengus L., and saithe, Pollachius virens L. |
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| Authors: | P He C S Wardle † |
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| Institution: | Shandong College of Oceanography. P.O. Box 90, Qingdao, People's Republic of China;Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 101, Aberdeen, AB9 8DB, U.K. |
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| Abstract: | Endurance and swimming speed were measured in mackerel, herring and saithe when they were induced by the optomotor response to swim at prolonged speeds along a 28-m circular track through still water in a 10-m diameter gantry tank. The maximum sustained swimming speed ( U ms was measured as body lengths per second ( b.l.s −1) for each species and for saithe of different size groups. Herring with U ms of 4.06 b.l.s −1 (25.3 cm, 13.5°C) were the fastest, mackerel U ms was 3.5 b.l.s 1 (33 cm, 11.7°C) and saithe (14.4°C) showed a size effect where U ms at 25 cm was 3.5 b.l.s 1 and at 50 cm 2.2 b.l.s 1. When swimming at speeds higher that U ms, all three species showed reduced endurance as speed increased. How the curved track reduces the swimming speed is discussed. |
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