Mathematics Colloquia and Seminars

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During forward swimming by crayfish, krill, prawns and lobsters, pairs of limbs called swimmerets located on the abdomen move rhythmically through cycles of power-strokes and return-strokes that propel the animal through the water. Movement of adjacent limbs maintains an 0.25 phase-difference approximately with the more posterior pair leading the cycle. The exact mechanisms underlying this robust phase-locking are not known. We use dynamical systems and fluid mechanics in conjunction with experimental results to obtain insight into these mechanisms.