Meeting Abstract

22.4  Wednesday, Jan. 4  Burrowing in sand – can surface reduce friction? SUMMERS, Adam P.; Friday Harbor Labs, UW fishguy@uw.edu

Several species of fishes burrow quickly and apparently effortlessly into sand of various grain sizes. Sandlances exhibit a marked preference for one particular grain size and burrow by driving the head directly into the substrate. Since there is no obvious fluidization of the substrate during burrowing we explored the morphology of the fishes skin. The scales are unusual in that they are fused into oblique bands that run dorsoventrally. Is it possible that the scale row spacing is related to the size grain that is preferred?