Emersion and Terrestrial Locomotion of the Northern Snakehead (Channa argus) on Multiple Substrates.

ABSTRACT: Most fishes known for terrestrial locomotion are small and/or elongate. Northern snakeheads (Channa argus) are large, air-breathing piscivores anecdotally known for terrestrial behaviors. Our goals were to determine their environmental motivations for emersion, describe their terrestrial kinematics for fish 3.0-70.0 cm and compare kinematics among four substrates. For emersion experiments, C. argus was individually placed into aquatic containers with ramps extending through the surface of the water, and exposed to 15 ecologically-relevant environmental conditions. For kinematic experiments, fish were filmed moving on moist bench liner, grass, artificial turf, and a flat or tilted rubber boat deck. Videos were digitized for analysis in MATLAB and electromyography was used to m

SUBMITTER: Bressman NR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7671134 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature