SWIMMING MACHINES

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Tunas, mackerels, and billfishes (marlins, sailfishes, and swordfish) swim continuously.
-Tunas, mackerels, and billfishes swim for a long time.
Feeding, courtship, reproduction, and even rest are carried out while in constant motion.
-Eating, finding a mate, reproducing and resting are done while swimming continuously.
As a result, practically every aspect of the body form and function of these swimming machines is
adapted to enhance their ability to swim.
-Because of that, their body parts and their functions were changed to improve their swimming skills.
SUMMARY
Tunas, mackerels, and billfishes swim for a long time. Eating, finding a mate, reproducing and resting are done while swimming
continuously. Because of that, their body parts and their functions were changed to improve their swimming skills.

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Many of the adaptations of these fishes serve to reduce water resistance (drag).
-Most of the changes in their bodies are used to lesson water drag (the higher water drag, the more difficult it is to swim).
Interestingly enough, several of these hydrodynamic adaptations resemble features designed to
improve the aerodynamics of high-speed aircraft.
-These changes are mostly similar to the designs of fast aircrafts.
Though human engineers are new to the game, tunas and their relatives evolved their high-tech
designs long ago.
-Tunas had used these high-technology designs even before flight engineers studied about it.
SUMMARY
Most of the changes in their bodies are used to lesson water drag (the higher water drag, the more difficult it is to swim). These
changes are mostly similar to the designs of fast aircrafts. Tunas had used these high-technology designs even before flight
engineers studied about it.

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Tunas, mackerels, and billfishes have made streamlining into an art form.
-The bodies of these fishes are streamline.
Their bodies are sleek and compact.
-They are small and smooth.
The body shapes of tunas, in fact, are nearly ideal from an engineering point of view.
-The tunas body shapes, according to engineers, are ideal.
Most species lack scales over most of the body, making it smooth and slippery.
-They dont have scales so their skins are smooth and slippery.
The eyes lie flush with the body and do not protrude at all.
-The eyes are in the same level as their face.
They are also covered with a slick, transparent lid that reduces drag.
-They are also covered with sticky stuff that makes them swim easier.
The fins are stiff, smooth, and narrow, qualities that also help cut drag.
-The fins used for swimming are smooth and small.
When not in use, the fins are tucked into special grooves or depressions so that they lie flush with the
body and do not break up its smooth contours.
-When fins are not in use, they are hidden under their body to reduce drag.
Airplanes retract their landing gear while in flight for the same reason.
-Thats why the tires of airplanes are hidden when in flight.
SUMMARY
The bodies of these fishes are streamline. They are small and smooth. The tunas body shapes, according to engineers, are ideal.
They dont have scales so their skins are smooth and slippery. The eyes are in the same level as their face. They are also covered
with sticky stuff that makes them swim easier. The fins used for swimming are smooth and small. When fins are not in use, they
are hidden under their body to reduce drag. Thats why the tires of airplanes are hidden when in flight.

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Tunas, mackerels, and billfishes have even more sophisticated adaptations than these to improve their
hydrodynamics.
-These fishes have more complicated changes to improve swimming.
The long bill of marlins, sailfishes, and sword-fish probably helps them slip through the water.
-The long mouth (bill) of some fishes helps them swim through the water easily.
Many supersonic aircraft have a similar needle at the nose.
-Fast jets have a similar needle in front of them to aid better flight.
SUMMARY
These fishes have more complicated changes to improve swimming. The long mouth (bill) of some fishes helps them swim
through the water easily. Fast jets have a similar needle in front of them to aid better flight.

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Most tunas and billfishes have a series of keels and finlets near the tail.
-Most tunas and billfishes have small fins near the end of their tails.
Although most of their scales have been lost, tunas and mackerels retain a patch of coarse scales near
the head called the corselet.
-Even though they dont have much scales, tunas and mackerels still have a group of scales near their head (corselet).
The keels, finlets, and corselet help direct the flow of water over the body surface in such as way as to
reduce resistance (see the figure).
-The fins and the corselet help their bodies to swim easily.
Again, supersonic jets have similar features.
-Jets also have the same mechanisms.
SUMMARY
Most tunas and billfishes have small fins near the end of their tails. Even though they dont have much scales, tunas and
mackerels still have a group of scales near their head (corselet). The fins and the corselet help their bodies to swim easily. Jets
also have the same mechanisms.

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Because they are always swimming, tunas simply have to open their mouths and water is forced in and
over their gills.
-Tunas just have to open their mouths to let water go in their bodies and through their gills (this is how they breathe).
Accordingly, they have lost most of the muscles that other fishes use to suck in water and push it past
the gills.
-Because of that, they dont have muscles in their mouths to breathe in water past their gills.
In fact, tunas must swim to breathe.
-Tunas need to swim to get air (oxygen).
They must also keep swimming to keep from sinking, since most have largely or completely lost the
swim bladder, the gas-filled sac that helps most other fish remain buoyant.
-They also need to continue swimming so they can float. They dont have bladders (sacs with air), unlike other fishes.
SUMMARY
Tunas just have to open their mouths to let water go in their bodies and through their gills (this is how they breathe). Because of
that, they dont have muscles in their mouths to breathe in water past their gills. Tunas need to swim to get air (oxygen). They
also need to continue swimming so they can float. They dont have bladders (sacs with air), unlike other fishes.

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One potential problem is that opening the mouth to breathe detracts from the streamlining of these
fishes and tends to slow them down.
-A possible problem is for that is if they open their mouths that will slow their swimming down.
Some species of tuna have specialized grooves in their tongue.
-Some tunas have holes in their tongues.
It is thought that these grooves help to channel water through the mouth and out the gill slits, thereby
reducing water resistance.
-These holes help water go through the mouth to the gills easily, making water resistance lower.
SUMMARY
A possible problem is for that is if they open their mouths that will slow their swimming down. Some tunas have holes in their
tongues. These holes help water go through the mouth to the gills easily, making water resistance lower.

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There are adaptations that increase the amount of forward thrust as well as those that reduce drag.
-There are also body parts that improve their skills to swim forward.
Again, these fishes are the envy of engineers.
-Engineers are jealous of these fishes.
Their high, narrow tails with swept-back tips are almost perfectly adapted to provide propulsion with
the least possible effort.
-The thin tails with narrow tips are good to allow them to swim forward (propel) easily.
Perhaps most important of all to these and other fast swimmers is their ability to sense and make use of
swirls and eddies (circular currents) in the water.
-Maybe the most important to these fast fishes are their ability to use waves and swirls in the water.
They can glide past eddies that would slow them down and then gain extra thrust by pushing off the
eddies.
-They slow down when they go to the currents but increase their speeds after being pushed by the end of the currents.
Scientists and engineers are beginning to study this ability of fishes in the hope of designing more
efficient propulsion systems for ships.
-Experts are studying the swimmers to improve designs for ships.
SUMMARY
There are also body parts that improve their skills to swim forward. Engineers are jealous of these fishes. The thin tails with
narrow tips are good to allow them to swim forward (propel) easily. Maybe the most important to these fast fishes are their
ability to use waves and swirls in the water. They slow down when they go to the currents but increase their speeds after being
pushed by the end of the currents. Experts are studying the swimmers to improve designs for ships.

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The muscles of these fishes and the mechanism that maintains a warm body temperature are also highly
efficient.
-The muscles of the fishes (for swimming and for keeping them warm) are effective.
A blue fin tuna in water of 7C (45F) can maintain a core temperature of over 25C (77F).
-The blue fin tuna can maintain a body temperature of 18 degrees less than the water temperature.
This warm body temperature may help not only the muscles to work better, but also the brain and the
eyes.
-Their warm temperature makes muscles, brains and eyes work better.
The billfishes have gone one step further.
-The billfishes are much better.
They have evolved special heaters of modified muscle tissue that warm the eyes and brain,
maintaining peak performance of these critical organs.
-They have muscle warmers to improve performance of their body.
SUMMARY
The muscles of the fishes (for swimming and for keeping them warm) are effective. The blue fin tuna can maintain a body
temperature of 18 degrees less than the water temperature. Their warm temperature makes muscles, brains and eyes work
better. The billfishes are much better. They have muscle warmers to improve performance of their body.