Fins allow fish to out-swim Olympians

Certain small reef fish use wing-like fins to ‘fly’ underwater, allowing them to cruise at speeds equivalent to tuna, a team of Australian and US researchers has found. The design of the fins has drawn the attention of underwater submersible designers and the US Office of Naval Research.

The wing-like fins, discovered by researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, allow these fish to handle strong water currents with ease. And the research team has also found that if these specialised fish are lost to overfishing, reefs worldwide would suffer.

“Some species of parrotfish, wrasse and surgeonfish have developed wing-like fins which they move in a flapping motion, just like a bird,” says Dr Chris Fulton, a lecturer in the School of Botany and Zoology at The Australian National University. “This allows them to generate high swimming speeds with relatively little energy so they can move easily around their turbulent, wave-swept habitats...[ScienceAlert.com]