HR: 17:00h
AN: OS54A-05 INVITED    [Abstracts]
TI: Developmental changing in the form and function of rowing hydromedusae
AU: * Colin, S P
EM: scolin@rwu.edu
AF: Roger Williams University, Environmental Sciences, Bristol, RI 02809, United States
AU: Weston, J
EM: jweston@rwu.edu
AF: Roger Williams University, Environmental Sciences, Bristol, RI 02809, United States
AU: Weston, J
EM: jweston@rwu.edu
AF: Providence College, Biology, Providence, RI 02918, United States
AU: Costello, J H
EM: costello@providence.edu
AF: Providence College, Biology, Providence, RI 02918, United States
AU: Dabiri, J O
EM: jodabiri@caltech.edu
AF: CalTech, Aeronautical and Bioengineering, Pasadena, 91125, United States
AB: Among medusan lineages bell morphology and propulsion appear to be interdependent traits. In general, taxa that possess large oblate bells swim via rowing propulsion and taxa with small prolate bells swim via jet propulsion. However, hydromedusae from the order, Leptomedusae, experience large changes in bell size and shape throughout their development, metamorphosing from small prolate juveniles into large oblate adults. To examine how propulsion changes throughout the development of leptomedusae, we investigated the fluid interactions and swimming characteristics of two leptomedusan species, Aequorea victorea and Eutonina indicans, throughout their development. As expected, these species start off as small prolate juveniles (< 2 mm diameter) and develop into large oblate adults (> 1.5 cm diameter). In addition to changes in morphology, we observed changes in Reynolds number, wake structure, propulsion and swimming kinematics. These changes were consistent with the previously described relationship between bell morphology and function.
DE: 0410 Biodiversity
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting