Ctenophores coordinate large macrociliary structures called ctenes to propel themselves through the water. The morphology and kinematics of the ctenes mediate swimming performance. We investigated morphological and kinematic factors affecting swimming performance in free‐swimming ctenophores (Pleurobrachia bachei) using high speed videography. Our morphological results showed that the relationship between body size and ctene morphology and arrangement in P. bachei were well described using linear (i.e., isometric) relationships, which suggests functional limitations of ctenes that vary among individuals of different sizes. Our kinematic results showed that isometric constraints on swimming performance can potentially be overcome by alterations in kinematics: (a) swimming speed in P. bachei increased with ctene beat frequency over a range of body lengths, and (b) the separation of ctenes into clumps of cilia allowed the ctene to increase in width during the effective stroke and decrease in width during recovery. Separation increases the surface area of the ctene during the effective stroke, likely increasing the thrust produced. The finding that ctenes are not monoliths and instead are separated into clumps of cilia has not been previously described, and we subsequently observed this trait in three other ctenophore species: Euplokamis dunlapae, Bolinopsis infundibulum, and Beroe mitrata. Flexibility in function may be a necessary corollary to isometric development of the ctenes as propulsive structures.

中文翻译：

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ten的分布及其对游泳的致病性

ten虫协调大型的纤毛结构，称为structures，以推动自己穿过水面。琴座的形态和运动学介导游泳表现。我们使用高速摄影技术研究了影响自由泳翼龙（Pleurobrachia bachei）游泳表现的形态学和运动学因素。我们的形态学结果表明，使用线性（即等距）关系可以很好地描述巴氏假单胞菌的体长与烯形态和排列之间的关系，这表明在不同大小的个体之间，网纹的功能局限性不同。我们的运动学结果表明，通过改变运动学可以潜在地克服对游泳成绩的等距约束：（a）游泳速度巴氏假单胞菌在一定的体长范围内随骨的搏动频率增加而增加，（b）将c骨分离成纤毛块，可使骨在有效冲程中宽度增加，而在恢复过程中宽度减小。在有效冲程中，分离会增加the烯的表面积，可能会增加产生的推力。c不是整块而是被分离成纤毛的发现以前没有被描述过，随后我们在其他三个c科物种中观察到了这一特征：Euplokamis dunlapae，Bolinopsis infundibulum和Beroe mitrata。功能上的灵活性可能是将等距发展为推进结构的必要条件。