Rostrum dace (Leuciscus leuciscus burdigalensis) from the River Viaur were found to be infested with the ectoparasite Tracheliastes polycolpus (Copepoda: Lernaeopodidae). Samples from five study sites along the river revealed different patterns of parasite infestation. Heavily infested fish were found at the upper study sites whereas much lower infestation levels were observed at the lower stud...

This work introduces FINkNN, a k-nearest-neighbor classifier operating over the metric lattice of conventional interval-supported convex fuzzy sets. We show that for problems involving populations of measurements, data can be represented by fuzzy interval numbers (FINs) and we present an algorithm for constructing FINs from such populations. We then present a latticetheoretic metric distance be...

The pectoral fins of Acipenseriformes possess endoskeletons with elements homologous to both the fin radials of teleosts and the limb bones of tetrapods. Here we present a study of pectoral fin development in the North American paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, and the white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus, which reveals that aspects of both teleost and tetrapod endoskeletal patterning mechanism...

This investigation is a three dimensional comprehensive heat transfer analysis for partially differentially heated enclosure with the vertical fin mounted on the hot wall. The thermal lattice Boltzmann based on D3Q19 method is utilized to illustrate the effects of vertical fins and nanoparticles on the flow and thermal fields. The effects of Rayleigh number and different arrangement of fins on ...

The median fins in extant actinopterygians are the product of millions of years of evolution. During this time, different developmental patterns for the dorsal and anal fins emerged leading to a high variation in median fin morphology and ontogeny. In this study, the development of anal and dorsal fins in atheriniforms is described and its consequences for the current phylogenetic hypothesis ar...

Sharks have greater risk for bioaccumulation of marine toxins and mercury (Hg), because they are long-lived predators. Shark fins and cartilage also contain β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA), a ubiquitous cyanobacterial toxin linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Today, a significant number of shark species have found their way onto the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red L...

Females are usually considered to be the target of male courtship behaviour. In nature, however, social interactions rarely occur without other observers; thus, it is conceivable that some male courtship behaviours are directed not towards females, but rather towards male rivals. The northern swordtail, Xiphophorus birchmanni, is a freshwater fish found in high densities in natural streams. Mal...

The objective of this work is the extension of a specific family of Self Organizing Maps named granular Self-Organizing Maps or grSOM for short, by using a novel parameterized metric distance based on lattice theory. The resulting Self-Organizing map, namely, mass-grSOM is applicable beyond Rn to Fn where Fn denotes the set of fuzzy interval numbers (FINs). The proposed Self-Organizing Map, use...

Liquid behaviors, including droplet condensation and frost melt water retention, of fins during frosting and defrosting processes on three aluminum fins with different surface characteristics under winter operating conditions of an air source heat pump were investigated. The effects of the surface characteristics, including the contact angle and the contact angle hysteresis, were analyzed. Drop...

Swimming fishes exhibit remarkable diversities of the caudal fin geometries. In this work, a computational study is conducted to investigate the effects of the caudal fin shape on the hydrodynamic performance and wake patterns in flapping propulsion. We construct the propulsor models in different shapes by digitizing the real caudal fins of fish across a wide range of species spanning homocerca...