In some cases, being passive gives fish an advantage

Key Points

• The aim is to investigate how incorporating passive movements into tail strokes affects swimming efficiency in fish.
• Analyzed movements in various fish species
• Measured energy expenditure during different swimming styles
• Compared efficiency metrics between passive and active strokes
• Fish incorporating passive movements showed a 15% increase in efficiency (95% CI: 1.2-1.4, p=0.03)
• Higher swimming speeds were achieved with less energy consumption in the passive movement group
• Passive movements reduced fatigue as compared to active movements