Exploring the evolutionary adaptations of the unique seahorse tail’s muscle architecture through in silico modelling and robotic prototyping
- Author
- Dries Marzougui (UGent) , Riddhi Das, Barbara Mazzolai, Dominique Adriaens (UGent) and Francis wyffels (UGent)
- Organization
- Project
- Abstract
- Seahorses possess a unique tail muscle architecture that enables efficient grasping and anchoring onto objects. This prehensile ability is crucial for their survival, as it allows them to resist currents, cling to mates during reproduction and remain camouflaged to avoid predators. Unlike in any other fish, the muscles of the seahorse tail form long, parallel sheets that can span up to 11 vertebral segments. This study investigates how this distinctive muscle arrangement influences the mechanics of prehension. Through in silico simulations validated by a three-dimensional-printed prototype, we reveal the complementary roles of these elongated muscles alongside shorter, intersegmental muscles. Furthermore, we show that muscles spanning more segments allow greater contractile forces and provide more efficient force-to-torque transmissions. Our findings confirm that the elongated muscle–tendon organization in the seahorse tail provides a functional advantage for grasping, offering insights into the evolutionary adaptations of this unique tail structure.
- Keywords
- evolutionary adaptations, prehensile tails, seahorses, muscle architecture, physics simulation, bioinspired robotics, PREHENSILE, SIZE
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01JTNHDE9XP6A0Z76DE8P3KP27
- MLA
- Marzougui, Dries, et al. “Exploring the Evolutionary Adaptations of the Unique Seahorse Tail’s Muscle Architecture through in Silico Modelling and Robotic Prototyping.” JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE, vol. 22, no. 226, 2025, doi:10.1098/rsif.2024.0876.
- APA
- Marzougui, D., Das, R., Mazzolai, B., Adriaens, D., & wyffels, F. (2025). Exploring the evolutionary adaptations of the unique seahorse tail’s muscle architecture through in silico modelling and robotic prototyping. JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE, 22(226). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2024.0876
- Chicago author-date
- Marzougui, Dries, Riddhi Das, Barbara Mazzolai, Dominique Adriaens, and Francis wyffels. 2025. “Exploring the Evolutionary Adaptations of the Unique Seahorse Tail’s Muscle Architecture through in Silico Modelling and Robotic Prototyping.” JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE 22 (226). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2024.0876.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Marzougui, Dries, Riddhi Das, Barbara Mazzolai, Dominique Adriaens, and Francis wyffels. 2025. “Exploring the Evolutionary Adaptations of the Unique Seahorse Tail’s Muscle Architecture through in Silico Modelling and Robotic Prototyping.” JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE 22 (226). doi:10.1098/rsif.2024.0876.
- Vancouver
- 1.Marzougui D, Das R, Mazzolai B, Adriaens D, wyffels F. Exploring the evolutionary adaptations of the unique seahorse tail’s muscle architecture through in silico modelling and robotic prototyping. JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE. 2025;22(226).
- IEEE
- [1]D. Marzougui, R. Das, B. Mazzolai, D. Adriaens, and F. wyffels, “Exploring the evolutionary adaptations of the unique seahorse tail’s muscle architecture through in silico modelling and robotic prototyping,” JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE, vol. 22, no. 226, 2025.
@article{01JTNHDE9XP6A0Z76DE8P3KP27,
abstract = {{Seahorses possess a unique tail muscle architecture that enables efficient grasping and anchoring onto objects. This prehensile ability is crucial for their survival, as it allows them to resist currents, cling to mates during reproduction and remain camouflaged to avoid predators. Unlike in any other fish, the muscles of the seahorse tail form long, parallel sheets that can span up to 11 vertebral segments. This study investigates how this distinctive muscle arrangement influences the mechanics of prehension. Through in silico simulations validated by a three-dimensional-printed prototype, we reveal the complementary roles of these elongated muscles alongside shorter, intersegmental muscles. Furthermore, we show that muscles spanning more segments allow greater contractile forces and provide more efficient force-to-torque transmissions. Our findings confirm that the elongated muscle–tendon organization in the seahorse tail provides a functional advantage for grasping, offering insights into the evolutionary adaptations of this unique tail structure.}},
articleno = {{20240876}},
author = {{Marzougui, Dries and Das, Riddhi and Mazzolai, Barbara and Adriaens, Dominique and wyffels, Francis}},
issn = {{1742-5689}},
journal = {{JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE}},
keywords = {{evolutionary adaptations,prehensile tails,seahorses,muscle architecture,physics simulation,bioinspired robotics,PREHENSILE,SIZE}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{226}},
pages = {{9}},
title = {{Exploring the evolutionary adaptations of the unique seahorse tail’s muscle architecture through in silico modelling and robotic prototyping}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2024.0876}},
volume = {{22}},
year = {{2025}},
}
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