Morphology of Fish Fin Summary

MORPHOLOGY OF FISH FIN
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Introduction
The fins of a fish are some of the major organs. The fins help the fish to move in water, help the fish to propel when moving underwater, change direction, and also enhance balance when swimming. There are different types of fish fins which include; the dorsal fins, the ventral fins, the caudal fins, the anal fin, the pectoral fin as well as the adipose fin. This study focuses on the analysis of the fish sin morphology, by analyzing the types of fish fins, their roles, and their location on the body of the fish.
The Fish Fin Morphology
There are two major types of fins which exist in the body of a fish, the median and the paired fins. The median fins usually run down the middle line of the body of a fish and are usually single. The major media fins in any fish include; the dorsal fin, the caudal fin, and the anal fin (Lauder, 2015). The paired fins are made up of the pectoral and pelvic fins, and they are usually arranged in pairs, as a representation of the animal arms and legs. The fins play many roles in the life of a fish, with the major role being the mobility and the stability of the fish, through the creation of body balance.
* The Dorsal Fin
The dorsal fin is usually placed at the top of the back of the fish, with its major role being the process of helping the fish to turn, to top and also ensuring that the fish does no rollover. The dorsal fin is usually divided into three major categories, which include; the proximal, the central or middle fin, and the distal dorsal fin. However, in some fish, the dorsal fin is combined into one, while others have the central and distal fins place differently (Di Santo et al., 2017). There are also various types of dorsal fins, which include; the single, the pointed, the split, the Spine triangular, the Trigger as well as the Trailing dorsal fin.
* The Pelvic Fin
The pelvic fin is located at the ventrally below and behind the pectoral fins and is usually two. However, some fish have their pelvic fins placed in front of the pectoral fins. The role of the pelvic fins is to ensure that the fish is stable and that it can slow down once in motion. When the fish wants to move upward or down in the water, it uses the pelvic fins (Lauder & Tangorra, 2015).
* The Anal Fin
The anal fin, also known as the cloacal fin, is stated at the ventral side, behind the fish anus. The anal fin offers support to the dorsal fin, and helps the fish to stabilize when swimming in the water, and also ensures that the fish does not roll over when in motion.