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Glite Dictionary
homocercal fin

homocercal fin

9.9
A tail fin that is the same on both sides and extends past the spine, seen in most bony fish
  • noun
  • /ˌhoʊmoʊˈsɜrkəl fɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : aleta homoceral
  • Unlike sharks, goldfish have a homocercal fin that is nearly symmetrical.

Examples

  • The trout has a homocercal fin that helps it swim efficiently.

  • Many species of bony fish possess homocercal fins.

  • Many modern fish species possess a homocercal fin that aids in efficient swimming.

  • The evolutionary shift to a homocercal fin allowed bony fishes to maneuver with greater agility.

  • Many modern fish species possess a homocercal fin that aids in efficient swimming.

  • Unlike sharks, goldfish have a homocercal fin that is nearly symmetrical.

  • The evolutionary shift to a homocercal fin allowed bony fishes to maneuver with greater agility.

Antonyms

heterocercal fin
  • Specialized
9.9

A tail fin with a larger top than bottom and the backbone entering the top, like sharks

How Symmetrical

homocercal fin
  • Specialized
9.9
heterocercal fin
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

homocercal fin singular
homocercal fins plural

Morphology

homocercal + fin

The meaning is directly compositional: 'homocercal' describes a specific tail-shape and 'fin' is the swimming appendage, so together they denote a fin with equal lobes extending beyond the vertebrae. This follows a standard adjective+noun pattern and would be immediately understandable to a learner who knows both constituent meanings.

Etymology

Homocercal fin is the name for a fish tail where the top and bottom lobes match, like a flat fan with two equal sides. That even shape 'helps the fish swim' straight and fast, so the term means a tail fin with matching parts that makes swimming more efficient.