laterally compressed
Thin from sides
Laterally compressed describes something flattened from side to side, so that it's taller than it's wide.
Fish bodies are often laterally compressed—thin when viewed head-on but deep when viewed from the side.
The term appears in biology and anatomy to distinguish from dorsoventrally compressed (flattened top to bottom, like a flounder or a turtle).
- flatfishAsymmetrical seafloor swimmer
- finAquatic propulsion appendage
- dorsal finFish's rear stabilizer
- swim bladderFish buoyancy organ
- ribbonfishLong, slender marine fish
blade · hydrodynamic · leaf insect · leaflike · gliding · knife edge · paper thin · aerodynamic · flounder · body shape · airfoil · angelfish · seahorse · sunfish · butterfly · hatchetfish · streamlined · sail