Journal Article
They like to move it (move it): walking kinematics of balitorid loaches of Thailand
Crawford, C.H., Webber-Schultz, A., Hart, P.B., Randall, Z.S., Cerrato-Morales, C., Kellogg, A.B., Amplo, H.E., Suvarnaraksha, A., Page, L.M., Chakrabarty, P. and Flammang, B.E.
Record Number:
5793
Year:
2022
Journal:
Jounal of Experimental Biology
Pages:
1-13
Volume:
225:jeb242906
Abstract:
Balitorid loaches are a family of fishes that exhibit morphological
adaptations to living in fast flowing water, including an enlarged sacral
rib that creates a ‘hip’-like skeletal connection between the pelvis and
the axial skeleton. The presence of this sacral rib, the robustness of
which varies across the family, is hypothesized to facilitate terrestrial
locomotion seen in the family. Terrestrial locomotion in balitorids is
unlike that of any knownfish: the locomotion resemblesthat of terrestrial
tetrapods. Emergence and convergence of terrestrial locomotion from
water to land has been studied in fossils; however, studying balitorid
walking provides a present-day natural laboratory to examine the
convergent evolution of walkingmovements.We tested the hypothesis
that balitorid species with more robust connections between the pelvic
and axial skeleton (M3 morphotype) are more effective at walking than
species with reduced connectivity (M1 morphotype).We predicted that
robust connections would facilitate travel per step and increase mass
support duringmovement.We collected high-speed video ofwalking in
seven balitorid species to analyze kinematic variables. The connection
between internal anatomy and locomotion on land are revealed herein
with digitized video analysis, μCT scans, and in the context of the
phylogenetic history of this family of fishes. Our species sampling
covered the extremes of previously identified sacral rib morphotypes,
M1 and M3. Although we hypothesized the robustness of the sacral
rib to have a strong influence on walking performance, there was
not a large reduction in walking ability in the species with the least
modified rib (M1). Instead, walking kinematics varied between the
two balitorid subfamilieswith a generallymore ‘walk-like’ behavior in the
Balitorinae and more ‘swim-like’ behavior in the Homalopteroidinae.
The type of terrestrial locomotion displayed in balitorids is unique
among living fishes and aids in our understanding of the extent towhich
a sacral connection facilitates terrestrial walking.
Times Cited:
1
Relevent Species:
Related Records:
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