pelvic fin

Fish belly appendage

Pelvic fins are the pair of fins on a fish's underside, positioned toward the rear of the body.

They correspond evolutionarily to the hind limbs of land vertebrates.

Pelvic fins help with steering, stability, and braking rather than propulsion: The pelvic fins keep the fish level in the water.

anatomy

ventral

Of the belly

pairedJoined as two
appendageProjecting body part
girdleBody-shaping undergarment

skeleton · musculature · articulation · ray · spine · bony · cartilaginous · basal · radials · insertion

locomotion

balance

Steadiness or amount owed

stabilityResistance to displacement
steeringControlling direction of movement
maneuveringSkillful directional control

braking · pitching · yawing · lift · control · hydrodynamics · gliding · hovering · positioning · trim

ichthyology

teleost

Bony, ray-finned fish

sharkCartilaginous marine predator
lungfishFish that breathes air
coelacanthPrimordial fish still swimming

comparative anatomy · taxonomy · classification · species · freshwater · marine · benthic · pelagic

evolution

tetrapod

Four-limbed vertebrate animal

transitionalConnecting two phases
amphibianDual-habitat cold-blooded vertebrate
homologyStructural similarity through descent

vestigial · ancestral · vertebrate · emergence · fossil · walking fish

Categories

appendagesflipper, flippers, tail, tails, legs
limbsarm, leg, foreleg, forelimb, hind leg
finstailfin, webbing, flipper, leading edge, trailing edge
fish anatomygills, tail, eye, scales, swim bladder

Opposites

fin position on fish body

pelvic findorsal fin

Fish's rear stabilizer

pectoral fin · anal fin · tail fin

Family

fin, fins, finned, pelvis, pelvic, findable, dorsal fin, pelvic girdle, finfish

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