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 A fin is a thin component or
appendage attached to a larger
body or structure.
 most distinctive features
of a fish
 Compose of bony spine protruding from
the body with skin covering them and joining
them together, either in a webbed fashion,
as seen in most bony fish , or more similar
to a flipper, as seen in sharks.
 Fins are appendages used by
the fish to maintain its position,
move, steer and stop.
 Fins give fish mobility, stability,
and maneuverability.
•Help in protection form predator
Fins are composed of two groups
Paired and unpaired
Paired Fins
 Pectorals
 Pelvics orVentrals
Unpaired fins
 Dorsal
 Caudal or tail
 Anal
 Paired fins can be used as the main means of
propulsion or in combination with other swimming or
crawling forms.
 The pectoral and pelvic fins are also commonly used
as a means of
 Quickly stopping the fish,
 Controlling pitching (change of position from the
horizontal) and to
 Attract mates or startle other fish.
 Two well known examples of the use of the pectoral
fins for primary propulsion are:
 Labrids - the rowing type movement of the wrasse.
 Rajiform - the bird like swimming of the skates and
rays
1:PECTORAL FINS
 On side of body , behind gill cavity
 In primitive fishes, the pectoral fins are found lower
on the body, nearer the ventral side.
 In some look like an arm-like extension.
 In other cases, the pectoral fins haveevolved to
look like wings for South American flying fish
 a pad for resting on the bottom in some catfish.
he pelvic fins are generally smaller than the
 The pelvic fins are located ventrally below and
behind the pectorals.
 Pelvic fins function in stabilizing , braking, move up
and down
 They are of little use for locomotion.
 Some have spines and rays on them.
 Other fish have modified pelvic fins in the form of a
sucker for holding on rocks.eg Gobies
 Some fish have even lost their pelvic fins
completely, especially those that spend their lives
scouring along the ocean floor.
1:DORSAL FINS
 Dorsal fins are located on the back or on the top of the
fish
 Aid the fish in sharp turns or stops, and assist the fish in
rolling.
 Fish may have up to three distinct dorsal fins, known
as proximal, middle , and distal dorsal fins
 several fish have just two dorsal fins with the
middle and distal fins fused together.
 May be a fleshy ray, or quite large and
supported by spines.
 Dorsal fins have been modified in the
remoras into a sucking disc that allows them
to cling to sharks or other large fishes.
 In the anglerfish, the dorsal fin has been
modified into a fishing rod and lure.
Dorsal fin
 The type of Doral fins are:
 Single
 Split
 Pointed
 Trigger
 SpineTriangular
 Trailing
 The caudal fin is the tail tail located at the end of the
caudal peduncle.
 For fish identification, the type of Caudal fin is used to
distinguish one type from another.
Types of caudal fin
 Indented
 Round
 Square
 Forked
 Lunate
 Pointed
 Emarginate
 Heteroceral
 The anal fin is located on the ventral surface
behind the anus
 The anal fin is usually short, but some fish have
anals that stretch from near the chin, to the caudal
fin.
 Very few fish have more than
one anal fin(i.e., the cods),
•some do not have one at all (i.e., skates
and rays).
• In some species,the anal fin has modified
into an organ used in copulation called
gonopodium.
 Fishes such as catfish have another fleshy
lobe behind the dorsal fin, called an adipose
(fat) fin
 Its function has remained a mystery
 Additional released in 2011 has suggested
that the fin may be vital for the detection of
and response to stimuli such as touch, sound
and changes in pressure
 Finlets are small fins located between the
dorsal fin and the tail of the fish
 anal fins and the tail of the fish.
 These finlets are found on fast swimming fish
like tuna, and is said to aid in the speed of the
fish, by cutting through the water.
Fish fins