Calculating the change in velocity and frequency of Turbatix aceti. in viscous materials

Vinegar eels (Turbatix aceti.) are a species of nematodes that use the oscillations of their bodies for self-propulsion, which allow them to travel through different liquids with varying viscosities and textures. We perform experiments studying the ability of the nematodes to propel themselves inside viscous liquids and how the behaviors and movements of the nematodes change with the physical properties of the liquids. We first investigate the behavior of a single nematode, measuring the velocity, the oscillation frequency and amplitude as a function of the liquid viscosity. We then investigate, the behavior of collection of nematodes. We find that the nematodes are capable of forming collectively oscillating filaments that propagate inside the viscous fluids. This collective state is different from the one observed for the same nematodes inside water. We explore the properties of these filaments for different viscous fluids.