ENERGY SAVINGS IN SEA BASS SWIMMING IN A SCHOOL - MEASUREMENTS OF TAIL BEAT FREQUENCY AND OXYGEN-CONSUMPTION AT DIFFERENT SWIMMING SPEEDS

Tail beat frequency of sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (L.) (23.5 +/- 0 .5 cm, L-T), swimming at the Front of a school was significantly highe r than when swimming at the rear, for all water velocities tested from 14.8 to 32 cm s(-1). The logarithm of oxygen consumption rate, and th e tail beat frequency of solitary swimming sea bass (28.8 +/- 0.4 cm, L-T), were each correlated linearly with swimming speed, and also with one another. The tail beat frequency of individual fish was 9-14% low er when at the rear of a school than when at the front, corresponding to a 9-23% reduction in oxygen consumption rate. (C) 1998 The Fisherie s society of the British Isles.