Sharks, remoras, cavefish: how they move

Anatomy, biomechanics, physiology and hydrodynamics can tell you a lot about how fish swim, hitch rides, even walk. And that knowledge has myriad applications, including designing sensors that stay stuck to mammals and amphibious vehicles for the U.S. Navy.

A pioneer in such research is NJIT’s Brooke Flammang, a Harvard-trained expert in fish locomotion. As director of the university’s Fluid Locomotion Laboratory, Flammang can answer all kinds of questions about fish but is particularly knowledgeable about:

• How sharks use their fins to propel themselves
• How remoras stay attached to whales despite relentless currents
• How cavefish walk

As she explains,

“I’m really interested in the anatomy and physiology of animals … how it works and how they’re able to just do the things that they do.”

To interview Flammang, who Scientific American recognized as “one of the best shark biologists,” simply click on the button below.