Meeting Abstract

23.4  Monday, Jan. 5  THE ADHESIVE DISC AND ITS FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY IN NORTERN CLINGFISH Gobiesox maeandricus: Gobiesocidae) AND TIDEPOOL SNAILFISH (Liparis florae: Liparidae): SCALING OF MORPHOLOGY AND SUCTION FORCE MAIE, T*; SUMMERS, AP; Clemson Univ.; Univ. of California, Irvine tmaie@clemson.edu

In the intertidal environment, Northern clingfish, Gobiesox maeandricus, and tidepool snailfish, Liparis florae, withstand waves that could potentially dislodge them from the substrate by adhering via suction discs. We measured the performance and scaling of these discs in these two species. Neither species was able to adhere to a surface in which a hole had been drilled, indicating that microstructure of the disc alone could not produce adhesion and that suction pressure must be generated by the fish. We measured the disc area and peak load to suction failure for clingfish ranging from 41.7-102.9 mm and snailfish from 92.5-167.9 mm. The disc area of both G. maeandricus and L. florae showed positive allometric scaling relative to body length and either positive allometry or isometry of dislodgement force relative to body length, indicating that adhesive capacity would be either maintained or enhanced as these fishes grow. The peak force measured for clingfish was 27.4 N for a 102.9 mm individual and 19.9 N for a 167.9 mm snailfish.