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The tail of a shark consists of the caudal peduncle and the caudal fin, which provide the main source of thrust for the shark. Most sharks have heterocercal caudal fins, meaning that the backbone extends into the (usually longer) upper lobe. The shape of the caudal fin reflects the shark's lifestyle, and can be broadly divided into five categories:
The two to three bones that support the dorsal fin are called the proximal, middle, and distal pterygiophores. In spinous fins, the distal pterygiophore is often fused to the middle or not present at all. Caudal/Tail fins: Also called the tail fins, caudal fins are attached to the end of the caudal peduncle and used for propulsion.
The bones to which the pectoral fin is attached. peduncle Usually referred to as the caudal peduncle, the region of the body between the end of the anal fin and the base of the caudal fin. pelagic Living on or in the open seas. pelvic girdle The bones to which the ventral fins are attached. pelvic fins Paired fins behind or below the pectoral fins.
The caudal fin has a strong lateral keel and a crescent shape. Other common names include bone shark, elephant shark, sailfish, and sunfish. In Orkney, it is called hoe-mother (contracted homer), meaning "the mother of the piked dogfish". [5] The basking shark is a cosmopolitan migratory species found in
For example, the whale shark reported by Kaikini et al. (1959) was reported at 12.1 m in total length, the precaudal length was reported at 9.84 m, and the upper caudal fin was 2.31 m. Reaching the reported total length of 12.1 m would require the upper caudal fin to be illustrated at a very shallow angle.
The caudal fin has asymmetrical lobes, forming a heterocercal tail. The species name acanthias refers to the shark's two spines. These are used defensively. If captured, the shark can arch its back to pierce its captor with spines near the dorsal fins that secrete a mild venom into its predator. [7]
Chondrichthye (cartilaginous fish) – jawed fish with paired fins, paired nares, scales, two-chambered hearts, and skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone. Elasmobranch – member of the subclass Elasmobranchii, which includes sharks, rays, and skates. Predator – organism that attacks and feeds on prey (the organism that is attacked). [2]
The adipose fin is a soft, fleshy fin found on the back behind the dorsal fin and just forward of the caudal fin. It is absent in many fish families, but found in nine of the 31 euteleostean orders ( Percopsiformes , Myctophiformes , Aulopiformes , Stomiiformes , Salmoniformes , Osmeriformes , Characiformes , Siluriformes and Argentiniformes ...