Valentina Di Santo
@vdisanto.bsky.social
Comparative physiologist and biomechanist studying fish locomotion at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego 🌊🦈🐟🐠🐡
www.valentinadisanto.com
www.valentinadisanto.com
Introducing the undulating tripod gait, the walking strategy used by many fishes. We tracked the fishes, built a model, a robot, and found that 3 body segments, 2 fins, and friction are all it takes. No specialized anatomy required. Out today in Nature Communications www.nature.com/articles/s41...
June 2, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Introducing the undulating tripod gait, the walking strategy used by many fishes. We tracked the fishes, built a model, a robot, and found that 3 body segments, 2 fins, and friction are all it takes. No specialized anatomy required. Out today in Nature Communications www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Honored to be named a 2026 Sloan Research Fellow @sloanfoundation.bsky.social. Grateful to my students, collaborators, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography @scrippsocean.bsky.social community as we work to understand the mechanics and energetics of animal locomotion. #SloanFellow
February 17, 2026 at 4:36 PM
Honored to be named a 2026 Sloan Research Fellow @sloanfoundation.bsky.social. Grateful to my students, collaborators, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography @scrippsocean.bsky.social community as we work to understand the mechanics and energetics of animal locomotion. #SloanFellow
As oxygen dropped, tail-beat frequency fell, amplitude increased, and swimming efficiency remained stable. The school held together because each fish adjusted its kinematics rather than its position.
November 22, 2025 at 11:15 PM
As oxygen dropped, tail-beat frequency fell, amplitude increased, and swimming efficiency remained stable. The school held together because each fish adjusted its kinematics rather than its position.
We reduced oxygen stepwise from 95% to 20% while fish swam at the same speed. If hypoxia disrupts collective behavior, we would expect spacing or alignment to shift early. They didn’t. The school remained cohesive until oxygen reached the point where individual fish could no longer sustain swimming.
November 22, 2025 at 11:15 PM
We reduced oxygen stepwise from 95% to 20% while fish swam at the same speed. If hypoxia disrupts collective behavior, we would expect spacing or alignment to shift early. They didn’t. The school remained cohesive until oxygen reached the point where individual fish could no longer sustain swimming.
Our research is on the cover of @pnas.org this week! Proud of what we accomplished and grateful for an amazing team (and some truly memorable fishes). 🐟
Link to the paper: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Link to the paper: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
July 17, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Our research is on the cover of @pnas.org this week! Proud of what we accomplished and grateful for an amazing team (and some truly memorable fishes). 🐟
Link to the paper: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Link to the paper: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
1/8 For years, it’s been assumed that when fishes hover in open water, they’re just resting. Our new @pnas.org paper shows otherwise: hovering can double metabolic costs compared to true rest in near-neutrally buoyant fishes. Here’s what we found: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
a 🧪 🧵..
a 🧪 🧵..
July 7, 2025 at 10:22 PM
1/8 For years, it’s been assumed that when fishes hover in open water, they’re just resting. Our new @pnas.org paper shows otherwise: hovering can double metabolic costs compared to true rest in near-neutrally buoyant fishes. Here’s what we found: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
a 🧪 🧵..
a 🧪 🧵..
The Rainbow wrasse 🌈 Coris melanura
I love this fish! 🧪🐟
I love this fish! 🧪🐟
June 3, 2025 at 4:51 AM
The Rainbow wrasse 🌈 Coris melanura
I love this fish! 🧪🐟
I love this fish! 🧪🐟
My dream job @scrippsocean.bsky.social 🧪
May 26, 2025 at 12:42 AM
My dream job @scrippsocean.bsky.social 🧪
For every published paper or review, @biologists.bsky.social plants a tree in a UK forest. Here is my tree: Tree no. 9225
Wild cherry (Prunus avium) 🧪 🌱
Read the paper here: journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
Wild cherry (Prunus avium) 🧪 🌱
Read the paper here: journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
April 19, 2025 at 10:47 PM
For every published paper or review, @biologists.bsky.social plants a tree in a UK forest. Here is my tree: Tree no. 9225
Wild cherry (Prunus avium) 🧪 🌱
Read the paper here: journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
Wild cherry (Prunus avium) 🧪 🌱
Read the paper here: journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
New publication led by my MS student, Sonia Marketaki:
We tested how blind cavefish navigate a novel 3D obstacle course after lateral line ablation. Despite losing their primary mechanosensory input, the fish altered their behavior to complete the task. 🧪 🐟
🔗 authors.elsevier.com/a/1kx-E3v7jN...
We tested how blind cavefish navigate a novel 3D obstacle course after lateral line ablation. Despite losing their primary mechanosensory input, the fish altered their behavior to complete the task. 🧪 🐟
🔗 authors.elsevier.com/a/1kx-E3v7jN...
April 18, 2025 at 12:51 AM
New publication led by my MS student, Sonia Marketaki:
We tested how blind cavefish navigate a novel 3D obstacle course after lateral line ablation. Despite losing their primary mechanosensory input, the fish altered their behavior to complete the task. 🧪 🐟
🔗 authors.elsevier.com/a/1kx-E3v7jN...
We tested how blind cavefish navigate a novel 3D obstacle course after lateral line ablation. Despite losing their primary mechanosensory input, the fish altered their behavior to complete the task. 🧪 🐟
🔗 authors.elsevier.com/a/1kx-E3v7jN...
In Arizona, just wrapped up an incredible first meeting of #Scialog: Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems! Grateful to have been part of such an inspiring group of researchers. A huge thank you to RCSA. Excited to continue these conversations and see where they lead. See you all next year! 🧪 🧠 🌡️
March 17, 2025 at 5:15 PM
In Arizona, just wrapped up an incredible first meeting of #Scialog: Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems! Grateful to have been part of such an inspiring group of researchers. A huge thank you to RCSA. Excited to continue these conversations and see where they lead. See you all next year! 🧪 🧠 🌡️
I'm so happy I got to spend five wonderful days with these incredible scientists. A huge thank you to the Journal of Experimental Biology and the Company of Biologists for making it all possible, and to Andy Biewener and Alan Wilson for inviting me! --- Mürren, Switzerland
March 30, 2024 at 11:39 PM
I'm so happy I got to spend five wonderful days with these incredible scientists. A huge thank you to the Journal of Experimental Biology and the Company of Biologists for making it all possible, and to Andy Biewener and Alan Wilson for inviting me! --- Mürren, Switzerland
Sunset at the Marine BiologicalLaboratory @mblscience.bsky.social
February 20, 2024 at 10:55 PM
Sunset at the Marine BiologicalLaboratory @mblscience.bsky.social
My favorite fish, the little skate, here at the Marine Biological Laboratory @mblscience.bsky.social 🧪
February 12, 2024 at 5:08 PM
My favorite fish, the little skate, here at the Marine Biological Laboratory @mblscience.bsky.social 🧪
It seems like a great opportunity, I went to the Bimini Biol Field Station as an undergrad and learned a lot. 🧪 🦈 👉👉👉"Scholarships for 2 month internships are now available through the Bimini Shark Lab thanks to the support of the McPZ Foundation."
www.biminisharklab.com/scholarships
www.biminisharklab.com/scholarships
January 12, 2024 at 8:03 PM
It seems like a great opportunity, I went to the Bimini Biol Field Station as an undergrad and learned a lot. 🧪 🦈 👉👉👉"Scholarships for 2 month internships are now available through the Bimini Shark Lab thanks to the support of the McPZ Foundation."
www.biminisharklab.com/scholarships
www.biminisharklab.com/scholarships
An old friend 🧡 #littleskate #walking fish 🧪
January 10, 2024 at 7:37 PM
An old friend 🧡 #littleskate #walking fish 🧪
Caught bichirs at the fish gym today, more interested in socializing than exercising #WalkingFish #SocialButterfly @mblscience.bsky.social
January 10, 2024 at 4:22 AM
Caught bichirs at the fish gym today, more interested in socializing than exercising #WalkingFish #SocialButterfly @mblscience.bsky.social
Happy holidays from the lab!
December 11, 2023 at 7:09 PM
Happy holidays from the lab!
Frogfish in the lab
December 6, 2023 at 7:08 PM
Frogfish in the lab
The Life (less) Aquatic @mblscience.bsky.social
December 5, 2023 at 11:34 PM
The Life (less) Aquatic @mblscience.bsky.social