Does body and fin form affect the maneuverability of fish traversing vertical and horizontal slits?

The purpose of this study was to determine if body and fin form affected the maneuverability of teleostean fishes as measured by their ability to negotiate simple obstacles. Obstacles were vertical and horizontal rectangular slits of different widths, for which width was defined as the minimum dimension of a slit irrespective of slit orientation. Performance was measured as the smallest slit width traversed. Three species with different body and fin patterns were induced to swim through slits. Species tested were; goldfish Carassius auratus with a fusiform body, anterio-ventral pectoral fins and posterio-ventral pelvic fins; silver dollars Metynnis hypsauchen with the same fin configurations but a gibbose body; angelfish Pterophyllum scalare with a gibbose body and anterio-lateral pectoral fins. Minimum slit widths negotiated were normalized with the length of various body dimensions: total length, maximum width, span at the pectoral fins, and volume^1/3 (numerically equal to mass^1/3). Goldfish had the poorest performance, requiring the largest slit widths relative to these body dimensions. No consistent patterns in performance were found for silver dollars vs. angelfish. There were no differences among species in the ratio of minimum vertical slit width negotiated to that for horizontal slits, indicating fish were equally able to control posture while swimming on their sides. There were also no consistent patterns in the times taken to transit slits. Although the deep-bodied fish were able to maneuver through smaller slits, the most striking result is the similarity of minimum slit widths traversed in spite of the large variation in body form. Body form and fin plan may be more important for maneuvering and posture control during sub-maximum routine activities.