Animal Sciences Commons^™

Hydrodynamic Aspects Of Shark Scales, William G. Raschi, John A. Musick

Reports

The energetics of fish locomotion depends on a balance between thrust and drag. The interest stimulated by "Gray's Paradox", that is the seeming lack of sufficient power to overcome many of the estimated values of drag, has resulted in the delineation of a number of potential drag reducing mechanisms (Webb, 1975). Of particular interest is a variety of structural mechanisms, such as scombroid scale corselets (Walters, 1962) and scale ctenii (Burdak, 1969; Bone, 1972), which increase surface roughness and thereby alter boundary layer characteristics. Elasmobranch placoid scales, or dermal denticles, may perform such a function. Bone and Howarth (1966) have …