Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Porter, Marianne E.

Abstract

Many studies on shark swimming have examined kinematic variables along straight tracks or under controlled flow speeds in flumes, but there is less known about unsteady swimming during maneuvering or feeding. Sharks may adjust their speed, undulatory kinematics, or body curvature to accommodate different actions. This study quantified variations in kinematics during straight swimming, maneuvering, and feeding in scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini). I obtained video of three juvenile scalloped hammerheads, developed an ethogram assessing three behavioral categories, and tracked points along the body’s midline. I found that velocity was lower during feeding compared to maneuvering and straight swimming, while body curvature increased during feeding turns but decreased with increasing velocity. These data will provide insight into kinematic variations in hammerhead sharks across ontogeny and among behaviors, ultimately expanding on the relationship between form and function. This also provides context for varying behaviors and trends within the movement ecology paradigm.

Extent

64 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Thesis (MS)--Florida Atlantic University, 2022.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00014079

Format

pdf

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