Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Skeletal Anatomy Of The Pectoral Fin In Mudskipper Species From Terrestrial And Aquatic Habitats, Haodong Zhou, Cassandra M. Donatelli, Odette Laneuville, Emily M. Standen Jul 2023

Skeletal Anatomy Of The Pectoral Fin In Mudskipper Species From Terrestrial And Aquatic Habitats, Haodong Zhou, Cassandra M. Donatelli, Odette Laneuville, Emily M. Standen

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Mudskippers are a group of amphibious fishes in the family Oxudercidae, whose species inhabit a range of habitats from mostly aquatic to mostly terrestrial. Most of our understanding about habitat preference comes from natural history observations, particularly where they are collected (i.e., low intertidal vs. high intertidal regions). Mudskippers have undergone several morphological changes to accommodate a terrestrial life, including major changes to the pectoral and pelvic girdles. These changes result in a novel crutching gait, which mudskippers use to move over land. Though the appendicular morphology and crutching gait of mudskippers have been described in some species, few …


Internal Vertebral Morphology Of Bony Fishes Matches The Mechanical Demands Of Different Environments, Dana Baxter, Karly E. Cohen, Cassandra M. Donatelli, Eric D. Tytell Nov 2022

Internal Vertebral Morphology Of Bony Fishes Matches The Mechanical Demands Of Different Environments, Dana Baxter, Karly E. Cohen, Cassandra M. Donatelli, Eric D. Tytell

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Fishes have repeatedly evolved characteristic body shapes depending on how close they live to the substrate. Pelagic fishes live in open water and typically have narrow, streamlined body shapes; benthic and demersal fishes live close to the substrate; and demersal fishes often have deeper bodies. These shape differences are often associated with behavioral differences: pelagic fishes swim nearly constantly, demersal fishes tend to maneuver near the substrate, and benthic fishes often lie in wait on the substrate. We hypothesized that these morphological and behavioral differences would be reflected in the mechanical properties of the body, and specifically in vertebral column …


Interspecific Differences In The Flow Regimes And Drag Of North Pacific Skate Egg Cases, Kayla C. Hall, Jaida N. Elcock, Gerald R. Hoff, Duane E. Stevenson, Adam P. Summers, Cassandra M. Donatelli Jul 2022

Interspecific Differences In The Flow Regimes And Drag Of North Pacific Skate Egg Cases, Kayla C. Hall, Jaida N. Elcock, Gerald R. Hoff, Duane E. Stevenson, Adam P. Summers, Cassandra M. Donatelli

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Skates are a diverse group of dorso-ventrally compressed cartilaginous fishes found primarily in high-latitude seas. These slow-growing oviparous fishes deposit their fertilized eggs into cases, which then rest on the seafloor. Developing skates remain in their cases for 1-4 years after they are deposited, meaning the abiotic characteristics of the deposition sites, such as current and substrate type, must interact with the capsule in a way to promote long residency. Egg cases are morphologically variable and can be identified to species. Both the gross morphology and the microstructures of the egg case interact with substrate to determine how well a …