dorsal fin
Fish's back blade
A dorsal fin is the fin on the back of a fish or other aquatic animal, projecting upward from the spine.
It provides stability during swimming, preventing the animal from rolling side to side.
Sharks are particularly associated with their dorsal fins, which break the water's surface in a way that signals danger in popular culture.
Some fish have multiple dorsal fins, and the size and shape vary considerably across species.
Swift, long-billed fish
- marlinSpear-snouted game fish
- swordfishFish with blade-like bill
- tunaLarge edible ocean fish
- bassDeep pitch or fish
perch · sunfish · betta · guppy · goldfish · koi · cichlid · grouper
Column of vertebrae
- vertebraeInterlocking bones of spine
- cartilageFlexible connective body tissue
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- appendageProjecting body part
projection · ridge · crest · membrane · rays · spines · structure · morphology
Resistance to displacement
- balanceSteadiness or amount owed
- steeringControlling direction of movement
- hydrodynamicsScience of liquid motion
- streamlinedMade smooth and efficient
propulsion · maneuverability · yaw · roll · glide · swimming · thrust · drag
Echolocating marine mammal
- orcaLarge predatory dolphin
- whaleHuge sea mammal
- porpoiseSmall toothed whale relative
- humpbackBaleen whale species
killer whale · bottlenose · curved · rounded · tall · captivity · identification · fluke
Large predatory marine fish
- hammerheadShark with splayed head
- tiger sharkBanded tropical marine hunter
- bull sharkAggressive species entering rivers
- reef sharkShallow-water cartilaginous predator
whale shark · apex predator · silhouette · surface · circling · jaws · triangular · iconic
sailfish
Swift, long-billed fish
bass · perch · sunfish · betta · guppy · goldfish · koi · cichlid · grouper · snapper
spine
Column of vertebrae
- vertebraeInterlocking bones of spine
- cartilageFlexible connective body tissue
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
appendage · projection · ridge · crest · membrane · rays · spines · structure · morphology · webbing
stability
Resistance to displacement
- balanceSteadiness or amount owed
- steeringControlling direction of movement
- hydrodynamicsScience of liquid motion
streamlined · propulsion · maneuverability · yaw · roll · glide · swimming · thrust · drag · lift
dolphin
Echolocating marine mammal
humpback · killer whale · bottlenose · curved · rounded · tall · captivity · identification · fluke · blowhole
great white
Large predatory marine fish
- hammerheadShark with splayed head
- tiger sharkBanded tropical marine hunter
- bull sharkAggressive species entering rivers
reef shark · whale shark · apex predator · silhouette · surface · circling · jaws · triangular · iconic · menacing
- Killer Whalespod, blowhole, fluke, echolocation, breaching
- whale sciencewhale songs, whale strandings, migration patterns, echolocation, photo ID
- shark factsapex predator, shark attack, endangered species
- shark traits
- animal featuresbeaks, scales, antlers, fur, ears
- animal traitsfur, tail, claws, teeth, wings