- heterocercal fin
- nouna tail fin with unequal lobes in which the vertebral column turns upward into the larger lobe as in sharks• Ant: ↑homocercal fin• Hypernyms: ↑tail fin, ↑caudal fin
Useful english dictionary. 2012.
heterocercal fin
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heterocercal — [het΄ər ō΄sʉr′kəl] adj. [< HETERO + Gr kerkos, a tail + AL] designating, of, or having a tail fin in which the upper lobe is larger than the lower and contains the upturned end of the spinal column, as in certain fishes, esp. sharks … English World dictionary
heterocercal — adjective Date: 1838 1. of a fish tail fin having the upper lobe larger than the lower with the vertebral column extending into the upper lobe 2. having or relating to a heterocercal tail fin … New Collegiate Dictionary
heterocercal — the type of tail fin in which the vertebral column turns upwards into the upper lobe which is longer than the lower. Asymmetrical externally as well as internally, e.g. Elasmobranchii, Acipenseridae, Polyodontidae and in many larval Teleostomi.… … Dictionary of ichthyology
heterocercal — /hɛtəroʊˈsɜkəl/ (say hetuhroh serkuhl) adjective 1. having an asymmetrical tail or caudal fin, the backbone running into a much larger upper lobe, as in sharks. 2. denoting such a tail or caudal fin. Compare homocercal. {hetero + Greek kerkos… …
heterocercal — het•er•o•cer•cal [[t]ˌhɛt ər əˈsɜr kəl[/t]] adj. ich designating or having a tail fin in which the upper lobe is larger than the lower lobe, as in sharks • Etymology: 1830–40; hetero + Gk kérk(os) tail + al I … From formal English to slang
tail fin — noun 1. a stabilizer that is part of the vertical tail structure of an airplane • Syn: ↑vertical stabilizer, ↑vertical stabiliser, ↑vertical fin, ↑tailfin • Hypernyms: ↑stabilizer • Part Holonyms: ↑ … Useful english dictionary
caudal fin — noun the tail of fishes and some other aquatic vertebrates • Syn: ↑tail fin • Hypernyms: ↑fin • Hyponyms: ↑heterocercal fin, ↑homocercal fin • Part Holonyms: ↑ … Useful english dictionary
homocercal fin — noun symmetrical tail fin extending beyond the end of the vertebral column as in most bony fishes • Ant: ↑heterocercal fin • Hypernyms: ↑tail fin, ↑caudal fin … Useful english dictionary
abbreviate heterocercal — type of caudal fin in which the vertebral column extends only a short way into the upper lobe of the fin (which is longer than the lower lobe); a heterocercal caudal fin approaching the homocercal type, e.g. Lepisosteidae, Amiidae … Dictionary of ichthyology
fish — fishless, adj. /fish/, n., pl. (esp. collectively) fish, (esp. referring to two or more kinds or species) fishes, v. n. 1. any of various cold blooded, aquatic vertebrates, having gills, commonly fins, and typically an elongated body covered with … Universalium
