Ecological implications

Abstract

Swimming speed limits and endurance are directly related to food capture, escape from predators and reproduction. Therefore they are presumed to be subjected to strong selection pressures that enhance evolutionary fitness. This Darwinian fitness requires an individual not only to survive but also to produce fertile offspring. Against this background, all aspects of swimming performance are potentially crucial. The maximum speed a fish can sustain indefinitely, the endurance at higher speeds and the absolute maximum all-out burst speed are of high ecological importance and therefore important to investigate. It is also crucial to know how much time and energy must be allocated to swimming in order to achieve the highest fitness and how this affects the energy budget of a fish.