THE NEURAL CONTROL OF FISH SWIMMING STUDIED THROUGH NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS

The neuronal generation of vertebrate locomotion has been extensively studied in the lamprey. Computer simulations of this system have been carried out with different aims and with different techniques. in this article, we review some of these simulations, particularly those lead ing toward models that describe She interaction that occurs between th e neuronal system and its mechanical environment during swimming. Here we extend these models, enabling two new experiments to be conducted. The first one addresses the role of sensory feedback by exposing the neuromechanical system to unexpected perturbations. The second one tes ts the validity of an earlier proposed hypothesis for the neural gener ation of three-dimensional (3D) steering by coupling this central patt ern generator to a mechanical 3D simulation.