🤯 Did You Know (click to read)
Undulatory fin propulsion is also used by knifefish in freshwater environments.
Unlike most fish with distinct dorsal segments, the oarfish possesses a continuous dorsal fin extending nearly from head to tail. This fin contains hundreds of soft rays that ripple in coordinated waves. Instead of tail-driven thrust, propulsion often travels along the fin’s length. The design allows precise vertical and horizontal adjustments. On a body exceeding 10 meters, this creates an uninterrupted ribbon of motion. Few vertebrates exhibit such elongated fin architecture. Movement becomes a traveling wave.
💥 Impact (click to read)
Visualize a bus-length fin acting like a conveyor belt of muscle and membrane. Each wave begins near the head and travels rearward, pushing water with elegant efficiency. The entire body participates in locomotion. Compared to the explosive thrust of tuna, this is controlled glide. Scale and subtlety coexist.
This propulsion method may reduce energy expenditure in low-food environments. Efficiency matters where prey density fluctuates. Studying undulatory motion at extreme length informs robotic underwater vehicle design. Engineers attempt to replicate wave-based propulsion for quiet maneuvering. The oarfish perfected it first. The ribbon moves without roar.
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