22
surface. Their maximum fl ight speed is about of 10–20 m/s. The animal can rich a
total distance of as much as 400 m in 30 s (Fish 1990 ).
It was found that the role of the pelvic fi ns is to increase the lift-to-drag ratio as
well as the lift force. This is confi rmed by the jet-like fl ow structure that exists
between the pelvic and pectoral fi ns. According to Park and Choi ( 2010 ), “with both
the pectoral and pelvic fi ns spread, the longitudinal static stability is also more
enhanced than that with the pelvic fi ns folded. Although the fl ying fi sh uses its
hypertrophied pectoral and pelvic fi ns while gliding, the fi ns are usually folded
against the body when the fi sh swims in the sea,” (Park and Choi 2010 ). The fl ying
fi sh will surely be the subject of detailed future studies for the development of
special robots. A compact robot that could both swim underwater and glide in
the air above water has many potential applications in ocean exploration, mapping,
surveillance, and forecasting.
Infraclass Chondrostei
Broad variety of Chondrosteans lived during the late Palaeozoic. The sturgeons
(family Acipenseridae) of Europe, Asia and Canada, as well as the paddlefi sh
(family Polyodontidae) of Canada and China, are only the lineages that survive
today (Bemis et al. 1997 ; Birstein et al. 1997 ).
Both lineages have secondarily lost following morphological features that are
characteristic to actinopterygians. There are no on most of the body. They possess
cartilaginous skeleton as well as shark-like, heterocercal tail. In some species, the
rostrum extending past the mouth, which forms the paddle as in representatives
of the Polyodontidae family.
Infraclass Holostei
The freshwater bowfi n Amia of eastern Canada as well as some species of garpikes
( Lepisosteus and Atractosteus ) from North and Central America, are representatives
of holosteans which survive today. In contrast to modern species, Mesozoic holosteans invaded and diversifi ed extensively in marine habituates. It is established that
these animals arose in the Permian (Cavin and Giner 2012 ). Typical representatives
are Lepidotes (Triassic—Cretaceous), and Dapedius (Jurassic). Because of the
development of a shorter and more mobile jaw, holosteans have more advanced jaws
than the chondrosteans. It helps, instead of snapping the mouth shut, to produce a
powerful suction. The fi sh possess scales that tend to lose their shiny ganoid covering,
developed symmetrical tail and used the air sac to control buoyancy.
Infraclass Teleostei
Teleostei with 96 % of living fi sh species are the most number-rich taxon. It was in
the Late Triassic that the earliest teleosts fi rst appeared. However, as most dominant
fi sh in the world’s waters, they were distributed by the beginning of the Cenozoic.
1 Introduction
surface. Their maximum fl ight speed is about of 10–20 m/s. The animal can rich a
total distance of as much as 400 m in 30 s (Fish 1990 ).
It was found that the role of the pelvic fi ns is to increase the lift-to-drag ratio as
well as the lift force. This is confi rmed by the jet-like fl ow structure that exists
between the pelvic and pectoral fi ns. According to Park and Choi ( 2010 ), “with both
the pectoral and pelvic fi ns spread, the longitudinal static stability is also more
enhanced than that with the pelvic fi ns folded. Although the fl ying fi sh uses its
hypertrophied pectoral and pelvic fi ns while gliding, the fi ns are usually folded
against the body when the fi sh swims in the sea,” (Park and Choi 2010 ). The fl ying
fi sh will surely be the subject of detailed future studies for the development of
special robots. A compact robot that could both swim underwater and glide in
the air above water has many potential applications in ocean exploration, mapping,
surveillance, and forecasting.
Infraclass Chondrostei
Broad variety of Chondrosteans lived during the late Palaeozoic. The sturgeons
(family Acipenseridae) of Europe, Asia and Canada, as well as the paddlefi sh
(family Polyodontidae) of Canada and China, are only the lineages that survive
today (Bemis et al. 1997 ; Birstein et al. 1997 ).
Both lineages have secondarily lost following morphological features that are
characteristic to actinopterygians. There are no on most of the body. They possess
cartilaginous skeleton as well as shark-like, heterocercal tail. In some species, the
rostrum extending past the mouth, which forms the paddle as in representatives
of the Polyodontidae family.
Infraclass Holostei
The freshwater bowfi n Amia of eastern Canada as well as some species of garpikes
( Lepisosteus and Atractosteus ) from North and Central America, are representatives
of holosteans which survive today. In contrast to modern species, Mesozoic holosteans invaded and diversifi ed extensively in marine habituates. It is established that
these animals arose in the Permian (Cavin and Giner 2012 ). Typical representatives
are Lepidotes (Triassic—Cretaceous), and Dapedius (Jurassic). Because of the
development of a shorter and more mobile jaw, holosteans have more advanced jaws
than the chondrosteans. It helps, instead of snapping the mouth shut, to produce a
powerful suction. The fi sh possess scales that tend to lose their shiny ganoid covering,
developed symmetrical tail and used the air sac to control buoyancy.
Infraclass Teleostei
Teleostei with 96 % of living fi sh species are the most number-rich taxon. It was in
the Late Triassic that the earliest teleosts fi rst appeared. However, as most dominant
fi sh in the world’s waters, they were distributed by the beginning of the Cenozoic.
1 Introduction