Bubble allows breathing underwater: Potamodytes beetle

The Potamodytes beetle creates an underwater respiratory bubble via Bernoulli's principle.

Biomimicry Taxonomy

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	Gases

Biomimetic Application Ideas

Getting a sample of gas from the atmosphere without having to actually enter the physical environment. Being immersed in fluid allows for different observations than observing through the surface, thus this technique might allow for permanent underwater applications or living environments without specialized breathing apparatus.

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[Collapse all sections] Summary

"One beetle, Potamodytes tuberosus, contrives to get the pressure in the bubble below atmospheric, taking advantage of the pressure drop attending fluid flow. That makes gas (at atmospheric partial pressure) move into the bubble, which can thus act as a permanent lung (Stride 1955). But it works only in very shallow water (about 4 centimeters) and very rapid flows (over 1 meter per second)." (Vogel 2003:100)

About the inspiring organism

Coleoptera
Coleoptera

Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist

Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Getting a sample of gas from the atmosphere without having to actually enter the physical environment. Being immersed in fluid allows for different observations than observing through the surface, thus this technique might allow for permanent underwater applications or living environments without specialized breathing apparatus.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Green chemistry, underwater observation

References

Steven Vogel. 2003. Comparative Biomechanics: Life's Physical World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 580 p.

Bubble allows breathing underwater: Potamodytes beetle

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