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Science 15 March 1991:
Vol. 251. no. 4999, pp. 1346 - 1348
DOI: 10.1126/science.251.4999.1346

Articles

Fluid Dynamics in Suspension-Feeding Blackfish

S. LAURIE SANDERSON 1, JOSEPH J. CECH JR. 1, and MARK R. PATTERSON 2

1 Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
2 Division of Environmental Studies, University of California, Davis, CA 95616

Measurements of flow patterns and water velocities inside the oral cavity of blackfish (Orthodon microlepidotus), made with a fiberoptic endoscope and thermistor flow probe, revealed that gill-arch structures act in blackfish as barriers that direct particle-laden water to the mucus-covered roof of the oral cavity, where particles are retained. Gill-arch structures have previously been assumed to be the site of particle retention in suspension-feeding fishes. Water does not pass between these structures in blackfish, and they do not serve as filters that separate particles from the water. These results emphasize the importance of directly assessing flow velocity and direction inside the oral cavity of vertebrate suspension feeders, particularly at the level of the filtering elements.

Submitted on September 18, 1990
Accepted on January 2, 1991


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Mucus function and crossflow filtration in a fish with gill rakers removed versus intact.
J. C. Smith and S. L. Sanderson (2007)
J. Exp. Biol. 210, 2706-2713
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Feeding mechanisms in carp: crossflow filtration, palatal protrusions and flow reversals.
W. T. Callan and S. L. Sanderson (2003)
J. Exp. Biol. 206, 883-892
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »



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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)