Animating the Sea: Motion, Light and Eyes

Undulatory swimming is a type of locomotion that requires muscular paddles, fins, and tails to propel the organism forward. Multicellular structures coordinate muscle movements directed by neural stimuli and streamlined body shapes. The Yellow-bellied sea snakes have oar-like tail with no belly scales and the banded sea krait has allover scales and a paddle-like tail. Common Cuttlefish fins are stabilizers that can move the cuttlefish at slower speeds, provide extra thrust, and allows it to hover. The movement is done through a rhythmic undulatory pattern.

Oscillatory swimming is the movement of pectoral-fin-based swimming. Phocid seals use oscillatory swimming to move throughout the water column. Harbor seals use their fore flippers passively, and propel themselves with their lower region, using pelvic oscillation to move their hind flippers separately but coordinately. At times, the hind flippers deliver power strokes for an extra boost. Sea lions are adapted for movement on land as well as in the water. Wing like front flippers have bone structure similar to those in our arms and hands. hands. Though they have the same structure these bones do not have the same function as the act passively instead of actively. Swimming with these flippers propels the sea lion forward, while the hind flippers steer. Both sets of flippers enable a sea lion to walk on land.