Anatomy of fish. Paired and unpaired fins of fish

Material and equipment. Set of fixed fish – 30-40 species. Tables: Position of ventral fins; Fin modifications; Types of caudal fin; diagram of the position of the caudal fin of various shapes relative to the vortex zone. Tools: dissecting needles, tweezers, bath (one set for 2-3 students).

Exercise. When performing work, you need to consider the set of fish on all types: paired and unpaired fins, branched and unbranched, as well as articulated and unarticulated fin rays, the position of the pectoral fins and three positions of the ventral fins. Find fish that do not have paired fins; with modified paired fins; with one, two and three dorsal swimmers; with one and two anal fins, as well as fish without an anal fin; with modified unpaired fins. Identify all types and shapes of the caudal fin.

Make up formulas for the dorsal and anal fins for the fish species indicated by the teacher, and list the fish species available in the set, with various forms caudal fin.

Sketch branched and unbranched, articulated and non-articulated fin rays; fish with three positions of ventral fins; tail fins of fish of various shapes.

Fish fins can be paired or unpaired. The paired ones include the thoracic P (pinnapectoralis) and the abdominal V (pinnaventralis); to the unpaired ones - dorsal D (pinnadorsalis), anal A (pinnaanalis) and caudal C (pinnacaudalis). The exoskeleton of the fins of bony fishes consists of rays that can be branchy And unbranched. The upper part of the branched rays is divided into separate rays and has the appearance of a brush (branched). They are soft and located closer to the caudal end of the fin. Unbranched rays lie closer to the anterior edge of the fin and can be divided into two groups: articulated and non-articulated (spiny). Articulated the rays are divided along their length into separate segments; they are soft and can bend. Unarticulated– hard, with a sharp apex, hard, can be smooth and jagged (Fig. 10).

Figure 10 – Fin rays:

1 – unbranched, segmented; 2 – branched; 3 – prickly smooth; 4 – prickly jagged.

The number of branched and unbranched rays in the fins, especially in unpaired ones, is an important systematic feature. The rays are calculated and their number is recorded. Non-segmented (spiny) ones are designated by Roman numerals, branched ones - by Arabic numerals. Based on the calculation of the rays, a fin formula is compiled. So, pike perch has two dorsal fins. The first of them has 13-15 spiny rays (in different individuals), the second has 1-3 spines and 19-23 branched rays. The formula for the dorsal fin of pike perch is as follows: DXIII-XV,I-III19-23. In the anal fin of pike perch, the number of spiny rays is I-III, branched 11-14. The formula for the anal fin of pike perch looks like this: AII-III11-14.

Paired fins. All real fish have these fins. Their absence, for example, in moray eels (Muraenidae) is a secondary phenomenon, the result of late loss. Cyclostomes (Cyclostomata) do not have paired fins. This is a primary phenomenon.

The pectoral fins are located behind the gill slits of fish. In sharks and sturgeon, the pectoral fins are located in a horizontal plane and are inactive. These fish have a convex dorsal surface and a flattened ventral side of the body that gives them a resemblance to the profile of an airplane wing and creates lift when moving. Such an asymmetry of the body causes the appearance of a torque that tends to turn the fish’s head down. Pectoral fins and rostrum of sharks and sturgeon fish functionally they constitute a single system: directed at a small (8-10°) angle to the movement, they create additional lifting force and neutralize the effect of torque (Fig. 11). If a shark's pectoral fins are removed, it will raise its head upward to keep its body horizontal. In sturgeon fish, the removal of pectoral fins is not compensated for in any way due to poor flexibility of the body in the vertical direction, which is hampered by bugs, therefore, when the pectoral fins are amputated, the fish sinks to the bottom and cannot rise. Since the pectoral fins and rostrum in sharks and sturgeons are functionally connected, the strong development of the rostrum is usually accompanied by a decrease in the size of the pectoral fins and their removal from the anterior part of the body. This is clearly noticeable in the hammerhead shark (Sphyrna) and sawnose shark (Pristiophorus), whose rostrum is highly developed and the pectoral fins are small, while in the sea fox shark (Alopiias) and the blue shark (Prionace) the pectoral fins are well developed and the rostrum is small.

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Figure 11 – Diagram of vertical forces arising during the translational movement of a shark or sturgeon in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the body:

1 – center of gravity; 2 – center of dynamic pressure; 3 – force of residual mass; V 0 – lift force created by the body; V r– lifting force created by the pectoral fins; V r– lifting force created by the rostrum; V v– lifting force created by the pelvic fins; V With– lift force created by the caudal fin; Curved arrows show the effect of torque.

The pectoral fins of bony fish, unlike the fins of sharks and sturgeons, are located vertically and can perform rowing movements back and forth. The main function of the pectoral fins of bony fishes is low-speed propulsion, allowing precise maneuvering when searching for food. The pectoral fins, together with the ventral and caudal fins, allow the fish to maintain balance when motionless. The pectoral fins of stingrays, which evenly border their body, serve as the main propellers when swimming.

The pectoral fins of fish are very diverse in both shape and size (Fig. 12). In flying fish, the length of the rays can be up to 81% of the body length, which allows

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Figure 12 – Shapes of pectoral fins of fish:

1 – flying fish; 2 – slider perch; 3 – keel belly; 4 – body; 5 – sea rooster; 6 - monkfish.

fish soar in the air. In freshwater fish, keelbellies from the Characin family, enlarged pectoral fins allow the fish to fly, reminiscent of the flight of birds. In gurnards (Trigla), the first three rays of the pectoral fins have turned into finger-like outgrowths, relying on which the fish can move along the bottom. Representatives of the order Anglerfish (Lophiiformes) have pectoral fins with fleshy bases that are also adapted to move along the ground and quickly burrow into it. Moving along hard substrates with the help of pectoral fins made these fins very mobile. When moving along the ground, anglerfish can rely on both pectoral and ventral fins. In catfish of the genus Clarias and blennies of the genus Blennius, the pectoral fins serve as additional supports during serpentine movements of the body while moving along the bottom. The pectoral fins of jumpers (Periophthalmidae) are arranged in a unique way. Their bases are equipped with special muscles that allow the fin to move forward and backward, and have a bend reminiscent of the elbow joint; The fin itself is located at an angle to the base. Living on coastal shallows, jumpers with the help of pectoral fins are able not only to move on land, but also to climb up plant stems, using the caudal fin with which they clasp the stem. With the help of pectoral fins, slider fish (Anabas) also move on land. Pushing off with their tail and clinging to plant stems with their pectoral fins and gill cover spines, these fish are able to travel from body of water to body of water, crawling hundreds of meters. In such benthic fish as rock perches (Serranidae), sticklebacks (Gasterosteidae), and wrasse (Labridae), the pectoral fins are usually wide, rounded, and fan-shaped. When they work, undulation waves move vertically downward, the fish appears to be suspended in the water column and can rise upward like a helicopter. Fishes of the order Pufferfish (Tetraodontiformes), pipefish (Syngnathidae) and pipits (Hyppocampus), which have small gill slits (the gill cover is hidden under the skin), can make circular movements with their pectoral fins, creating an outflow of water from the gills. When the pectoral fins are amputated, these fish suffocate.

The pelvic fins perform mainly the function of balance and therefore, as a rule, are located near the center of gravity of the fish's body. Their position changes with the change in the center of gravity (Fig. 13). In low-organized fish (herring-like, carp-like) the pelvic fins are located on the belly behind the pectoral fins, occupying abdominal position. The center of gravity of these fish is on the belly, which is due to the non-compact position of the internal organs occupying a large cavity. In highly organized fish, the pelvic fins are located in the front of the body. This position of the pelvic fins is called thoracic and is typical mainly for most perch different fish.

The pelvic fins can be located in front of the pectoral fins - on the throat. This arrangement is called jugular, and it is typical for large-headed fish with a compact arrangement of internal organs. The jugular position of the pelvic fins is characteristic of all fish of the order Codfish, as well as large-headed fish of the order Perciformes: stargazers (Uranoscopidae), nototheniids (Nototheniidae), blennies (Blenniidae), etc. Pelvic fins are absent in fish with eel-shaped and ribbon-shaped bodies. In erroneous (Ophidioidei) fish, which have a ribbon-eel-shaped body, the pelvic fins are located on the chin and serve as organs of touch.

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Figure 13 – Position of pelvic fins:

1 – abdominal; 2 – thoracic; 3 – jugular.

The pelvic fins can be modified. With their help, some fish attach to the ground (Fig. 14), forming either a suction funnel (gobies) or a suction disk (lumpfish, slugs). The ventral fins of sticklebacks, modified into spines, have a protective function, and in triggerfishes, the pelvic fins have the appearance of a spiny spine and, together with the spiny ray of the dorsal fin, are a protective organ. In male cartilaginous fish, the last rays of the pelvic fins are transformed into pterygopodia - copulatory organs. In sharks and sturgeons, the pelvic fins, like the pectoral fins, serve as load-bearing planes, but their role is less than that of the pectoral fins, since they serve to increase lifting force.

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Figure 14 – Modification of the pelvic fins:

1 – suction funnel in gobies; 2 – suction disk in a slug.

Unpaired fins. As noted above, unpaired fins include the dorsal, anal and caudal.

The dorsal and anal fins act as stabilizers and resist lateral displacement of the body during tail movement.

Big dorsal When making sharp turns, sailboats act as a rudder, greatly increasing the maneuverability of the fish when pursuing prey. The dorsal and anal fins of some fish act as propellers, imparting forward movement to the fish (Fig. 15).

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Figure 15 – Shape of undulating fins in various fish:

1 – seahorse; 2 – sunflower; 3 – moon fish; 4 – body; 5 – pipefish; 6 – flounder; 7 - electric eel.

Locomotion with the help of undulating movements of the fins is based on the wave-like movements of the fin plate, caused by successive transverse deflections of the rays. This method of movement is usually characteristic of fish with a short body length that are unable to bend the body - boxfishes, sunfish. They move only due to undulation of the dorsal fin. seahorses and pipefish. Fishes such as flounders and sunfishes, along with the undulating movements of the dorsal and anal fins, swim by laterally curving their body.

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Figure 16 – Topography of the passive locomotor function of unpaired fins in various fish:

1 – eel; 2 – cod; 3 – horse mackerel; 4 – tuna.

In slow-swimming fish with an eel-like body shape, the dorsal and anal fins, merging with the caudal fin, form in a functional sense a single fin bordering the body and have a passive locomotor function, since the main work falls on the body body. In fast-moving fish, as the speed of movement increases, the locomotor function is concentrated in the posterior part of the body and on the posterior parts of the dorsal and anal fins. An increase in speed leads to the loss of locomotor function by the dorsal and anal fins, reduction of their posterior sections, while the anterior sections perform functions not related to locomotion (Fig. 16).

In fast-swimming scombroid fish, the dorsal fin fits into a groove running along the back when moving.

Herring, garfish and other fish have one dorsal fin. Highly organized orders of bony fish (perciformes, mullets) usually have two dorsal fins. The first consists of spiny rays, which give it a certain lateral stability. These fish are called spiny-finned fish. Gadfish have three dorsal fins. Most fish have only one anal fin, but cod-like fish have two.

Some fish lack dorsal and anal fins. For example, the electric eel does not have a dorsal fin, the locomotor undulating apparatus of which is the highly developed anal fin; Stingrays do not have it either. Stingrays and sharks of the order Squaliformes do not have an anal fin.

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Figure 17 – Modified first dorsal fin of the sticky fish ( 1 ) and anglerfish ( 2 ).

The dorsal fin can be modified (Fig. 17). Thus, in the sticky fish, the first dorsal fin moved to the head and turned into a suction disk. It is, as it were, divided by partitions into a number of independently acting smaller, and therefore relatively more powerful, suction cups. The septa are homologous to the rays of the first dorsal fin; they can bend back, taking an almost horizontal position, or straighten. Due to their movement, a suction effect is created. In anglerfish, the first rays of the first dorsal fin, separated from each other, turned into a fishing rod (ilicium). In sticklebacks, the dorsal fin has the appearance of isolated spines that perform a protective function. In triggerfish of the genus Balistes, the first ray of the dorsal fin has a locking system. It straightens and is fixed motionless. You can remove it from this position by pressing the third spiny ray of the dorsal fin. With the help of this ray and the spiny rays of the ventral fins, the fish, when in danger, hides in crevices, fixing the body in the floor and ceiling of the shelter.

In some sharks, the rear elongated lobes of the dorsal fins create a certain lifting force. A similar, but more significant, supporting force is created by the anal fin with a long base, for example, in catfishes.

The caudal fin acts as the main mover, especially with the scombroid type of movement, being the force that imparts forward movement to the fish. It provides high maneuverability of fish when turning. There are several forms of the caudal fin (Fig. 18).

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Figure 18 – Shapes of the caudal fin:

1 – protocentral; 2 – heterocercal; 3 – homocercal; 4 – diphycercal.

Protocercal, i.e., primarily equilobed, has the appearance of a border, and is supported by thin cartilaginous rays. The end of the chord enters the central part and divides the fin into two equal halves. This is the most ancient type of fin, characteristic of cyclostomes and larval stages of fish.

Diphycercal – symmetrical externally and internally. The spine is located in the middle of equal blades. It is characteristic of some lungfishes and lobe-finned fishes. Of the bony fishes, garfish and cod have such a fin.

Heterocercal, or asymmetrical, unequally lobed. The upper blade expands, and the end of the spine, bending, enters it. This type of fin is characteristic of many cartilaginous fishes and cartilaginous ganoids.

Homocercal, or falsely symmetrical. This fin can be externally classified as equilobed, but the axial skeleton is distributed unequally in the blades: the last vertebra (urostyle) extends into the upper blade. This type of fin is widespread and characteristic of most bony fish.

According to the ratio of the sizes of the upper and lower blades, the caudal fins can be epi-,hypo- And isobathic(ecclesiastical). With the epibate (epicercal) type, the upper lobe is longer (sharks, sturgeons); with hypobate (hypocercal) the upper lobe is shorter (flying fish, sabrefish), with isobathic (isocercal) both lobes have the same length (herring, tuna) (Fig. 19). The division of the caudal fin into two blades is associated with the peculiarities of the flow of counter currents of water around the body of the fish. It is known that a friction layer is formed around a moving fish - a layer of water, to which a certain additional speed is imparted by the moving body. As the fish develops speed, the boundary layer of water may separate from the surface of the fish's body and a zone of vortices may form. If the body of the fish is symmetrical (relative to its longitudinal axis), the zone of vortices that appears behind is more or less symmetrical relative to this axis. In this case, to exit the zone of vortices and the friction layer, the blades of the caudal fin lengthen equally - isobathism, isocercia (see Fig. 19, a). With an asymmetrical body: a convex back and a flattened ventral side (sharks, sturgeons), the vortex zone and the friction layer are shifted upward relative to the longitudinal axis of the body, therefore the upper lobe elongates to a greater extent - epibathicity, epicercia (see Fig. 19, b). If fish have a more convex ventral and straight dorsal surface (siberian fish), the lower lobe of the caudal fin lengthens, since the vortex zone and the friction layer are more developed on the lower side of the body - hypobate, hypocercion (see Fig. 19, c). The higher the speed of movement, the more intense the process of vortex formation and the thicker the friction layer, and the more developed the blades of the caudal fin, the ends of which must extend beyond the zone of vortices and the friction layer, which ensures high speeds. In fast-swimming fish, the caudal fin has either a semilunar shape - short with well-developed sickle-shaped elongated blades (scombroids), or forked - the notch of the tail goes almost to the base of the fish's body (horse mackerel, herring). In sedentary fish, during the slow movement of which the processes of vortex formation almost do not take place, the blades of the caudal fin are usually short - a notched caudal fin (carp, perch) or not differentiated at all - rounded (burbot), truncated (sunfish, butterfly fish), pointed ( captain's croakers).

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Figure 19 – Layout of the caudal fin blades relative to the vortex zone and friction layer for different body shapes:

A– with a symmetrical profile (isocercia); b– with a more convex profile contour (epicerkia); V– with a more convex lower contour of the profile (hypocercia). The vortex zone and friction layer are shaded.

The size of the caudal fin blades is usually related to the body height of the fish. The higher the body, the longer the caudal fin blades.

In addition to the main fins, fish may have additional fins on their body. These include fatty fin (pinnaadiposa), located behind the dorsal fin above the anal and representing a fold of skin without rays. It is typical for fish of the Salmon, Smelt, Grayling, Characin and some catfish families. On the caudal peduncle of a number of fast-swimming fish, behind the dorsal and anal fins, there are often small fins consisting of several rays.

R Figure 20 – Carinae on the caudal peduncle of fish:

A– y herring shark; b- in mackerel.

They act as dampers for turbulence generated during the movement of fish, which helps to increase the speed of fish (scombroid, mackerel). On the caudal fin of herrings and sardines there are elongated scales (alae), which act as fairings. On the sides of the caudal peduncle in sharks, horse mackerel, mackerel, and swordfish there are lateral keels, which help reduce the lateral bendability of the caudal peduncle, which improves the locomotor function of the caudal fin. In addition, the side keels serve as horizontal stabilizers and reduce the formation of vortices when the fish swims (Fig. 20).

Self-test questions:

Which fins are included in the group of paired and unpaired? Give their Latin designations.

What fish have an adipose fin?

What types of fin rays can be distinguished and how do they differ?

Where are the pectoral fins of fish located?

Where are the ventral fins of fish located and what determines their position?

Give examples of fish with modified pectoral, pelvic and dorsal fins.

What fish do not have pelvic and pectoral fins?

What are the functions of paired fins?

What role do the dorsal and anal fins of fish play?

What types of caudal fin structure are distinguished in fish?

What are epibate, hiobate, isobathous caudal fins?

Fins

organs of movement of aquatic animals. Among invertebrates, P. have pelagic forms of gastropods and cephalopods and setaceous-maxillary. U gastropods P. are a modified leg; in cephalopods, they are lateral folds of skin. The chaetomagnaths are characterized by lateral and caudal wings formed by folds of skin. Among modern vertebrates, cyclostomes, fish, some amphibians, and mammals have P. In cyclostomes there are only unpaired P.: anterior and posterior dorsal (in lampreys) and caudal.

In fish, there are paired and unpaired P. Paired ones are represented by anterior (thoracic) and posterior (abdominal) ones. In some fish, such as cod and blenny, the abdominal pectorals are sometimes located in front of the pectoral ones. The skeleton of paired limbs consists of cartilaginous or bone rays, which are attached to the skeleton of the limb girdles (See Limb girdles) ( rice. 1 ). The main function of paired P. is the direction of movement of the fish in the vertical plane (depth rudders). In a number of fish, paired parasites perform the functions of active swimming organs (See Swimming) or are used for gliding in the air (in flying fish), crawling along the bottom, or moving on land (in fish that periodically leave the water, for example, in representatives of the tropical genus Periophthalmus , which, with the help of chest pectorals, can even climb trees). The skeleton of unpaired P. - dorsal (often divided into 2 and sometimes into 3 parts), anus (sometimes divided into 2 parts) and caudal - consists of cartilaginous or bone rays lying between the lateral muscles of the body ( rice. 2 ). The skeletal rays of the caudal vertebrae are connected to the posterior end of the spine (in some fish they are replaced by the spinous processes of the vertebrae).

The peripheral parts of the P. are supported by thin rays of horn-like or bone tissue. In spiny-finned fish, the anterior of these rays thicken and form hard spines, sometimes associated with poisonous glands. Muscles that stretch the lobe of the pancreas are attached to the base of these rays. The dorsal and anal parasites serve to regulate the direction of movement of the fish, but sometimes they can also be organs of forward movement or perform additional functions (for example, attracting prey). The caudal part, which varies greatly in shape in different fish, is the main organ of movement.

During the evolution of vertebrates, the P. of fish probably arose from a continuous fold of skin that ran along the back of the animal, went around the rear end of its body and continued on the ventral side to the anus, then divided into two lateral folds that continued to the gill slits; This is the position of the fin folds in the modern primitive chordate - Lancelet a. It can be assumed that during the evolution of animals, skeletal elements formed in some places of such folds and in the intervals the folds disappeared, which led to the emergence of unpaired folds in cyclostomes and fish, and paired ones in fish. This is supported by the presence of lateral folds or venom of spines in the most ancient vertebrates (some jawless animals, acanthodia) and the fact that in modern fish, paired spines are longer in the early stages of development than in adulthood. Among amphibians, unpaired amphibians, in the form of a fold of skin devoid of a skeleton, are present as permanent or temporary formations in most larvae living in water, as well as in adult caudate amphibians and the larvae of tailless amphibians. Among mammals, P. are present in those who have passed secondarily to water image life of cetaceans and lilacs. Gypsy cetaceans (vertical dorsal and horizontal caudal) and lilacs (horizontal caudal) do not have a skeleton; these are secondary formations that are not homologous (see Homology) to the unpaired P. of fish. Paired P. of cetaceans and lilacs, represented only by the anterior P. (the hind ones are reduced), have internal skeleton and are homologous to the forelimbs of all other vertebrates.

Lit. Guide to Zoology, vol. 2, M.-L., 1940; Shmalgauzen I.I., Fundamentals of comparative anatomy of vertebrate animals, 4th ed., M., 1947; Suvorov E.K., Fundamentals of Ichthyology, 2nd ed., M., 1947; Dogel V.A., Zoology of invertebrates, 5th ed., M., 1959; Aleev Yu. G., Functional foundations external structure fish, M., 1963.

V. N. Nikitin.

Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

See what “Fins” are in other dictionaries:

- (pterigiae, pinnae), organs of movement or regulation of body position of aquatic animals. Among invertebrates, pelagics have P. forms of certain mollusks (modified leg or fold of skin), bristle-jawed. In skullless fish and larvae of fish, unpaired P.... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

Organs of movement or regulation of body position of aquatic animals (some mollusks, chaetognaths, lancelets, cyclostomes, fish, some amphibians and mammals, cetaceans and sirenids). They can be paired or unpaired. * * * FINS… … Encyclopedic Dictionary

Organs of movement or regulation of body position of aquatic animals (some mollusks, chaetognaths, lancelets, cyclostomes, fish, some amphibians and mammals, cetaceans and sirenids). There are paired and unpaired fins... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Take a closer look at the movements of the fish in the water, and you will see which part of the body takes the main part in this (Fig. 8). The fish rushes forward, quickly moving its tail to the right and left, which ends in a wide caudal fin. The body of the fish also takes part in this movement, but it is mainly carried out by the tail section of the body.

Therefore, the tail of the fish is very muscular and massive, almost imperceptibly merging with the body (compare in this regard with land mammals like a cat or a dog), for example, in a perch the body, inside which all the insides are contained, ends only a little further than half the total length of its body, and the rest is its tail.

In addition to the caudal fin, the fish has two more unpaired fins - on top of the dorsal (in perch, pike perch and some other fish it consists of two separate protrusions located one behind the other) and below the subcaudal, or anal, which is so called because it sits on the underside of the tail, just behind the anus.

These fins prevent the body from rotating around the longitudinal axis (Fig. 9) and, like a keel on a ship, help the fish maintain a normal position in the water; In some fish, the dorsal fin also serves as a reliable weapon of defense. It can have such a meaning if the fin rays supporting it are hard, prickly needles that prevent more large predator swallow fish (ruff, perch).

Then we see the fish have more paired fins - a pair of pectoral and a pair of abdominal ones.

The pectoral fins sit higher, almost on the sides of the body, while the ventral fins are closer together and located on the ventral side.

The location of the fins varies among different fish. Usually the pelvic fins are located behind the pectoral fins, as we see, for example, in pike (gastrofinned fish; see Fig. 52), in other fish the ventral fins have moved to the front of the body and are located between the two pectoral fins (pectoral finned fish, Fig. 10) , and finally, in burbot and some sea ​​fish, for example, cod, haddock (Fig. 80, 81) and navaga, the pelvic fins sit in front of the pectoral fins, as if on the throat of the fish (throat-finned fish).

The paired fins do not have strong muscles (check this on a dried roach). Therefore, they cannot influence the speed of movement, and fish row with them only when moving very slowly in calm, standing water (carp, crucian carp, goldfish).

Their main purpose is to maintain body balance. A dead or weakened fish turns over with its belly up, since the back of the fish turns out to be heavier than its ventral side (we will see why during the autopsy). This means that a living fish has to make some effort all the time so as not to tip over on its back or fall to its side; this is achieved by the work of paired fins.

You can verify this through a simple experiment by depriving the fish of the opportunity to use its paired fins and tying them to the body with woolen threads.

In fish with tied pectoral fins, the heavier head end is pulled and lowered; fish whose pectoral or ventral fins are cut off or tied on one side lie on their sides, and a fish in which all paired fins are tied with threads turns upside down, as if dead.

(Here, however, there are exceptions: in those species of fish in which the swim bladder is located closer to the dorsal side, the belly may be heavier than the back, and the fish will not turn over.)

In addition, paired fins help the fish make turns: when wanting to turn to the right, the fish paddles with the left fin, and presses the right one to the body, and vice versa.

Let us return once again to clarify the role of the dorsal and caudal fins. Sometimes, not only in the students' answers, but also in the teacher's explanations, it seems as if they are the ones who give the body a normal position - back up.

In fact, as we have seen, paired fins perform this role, while the dorsal and subcaudal fins, when the fish moves, prevent its fusiform body from spinning around the longitudinal axis and thereby maintain the normal position that the paired fins gave the body (in a weakened fish swimming on its side or belly up, the same unpaired fins support the abnormal position already assumed by the body).

• Read: Variety of fish: shape, size, color

Fish fins: shape, structure.

• Read more: Buoyancy of fish; Swimming fish; Flying fish

Different fish have different sizes, shapes, numbers, positions and functions of fins. But their initial and main role boils down to the fact that the fins allow the body to maintain balance in the water and participate in maneuverable movement.

All fins in fish are divided into paired, which correspond to the limbs of higher vertebrates, and unpaired. Paired fins include pectoral (P - pinna pectoralis) and ventral (V - pinna ventralis). Unpaired fins include the dorsal fin (D - p. dorsalis); anal (A - r. analis) and caudal (C - r. caudalis).

A number of groups of fish, in particular salmon, characins, killer whales, and others, have a so-called adipose fin behind the dorsal fin, which is devoid of fin rays (p.adiposa).

Pectoral fins are common in bony fishes, while in moray eels and some others they are absent. Lampreys and hagfish are completely devoid of both pectoral and ventral fins. In stingrays, on the contrary, the pectoral fins are greatly enlarged and play the main role as organs of their movement. But pectoral fins have developed especially strongly in flying fish, which allows them to jump out onto high speed out of the water, literally soaring in the air, while flying long distances over the water. Three rays of the pectoral fin sea ​​cock completely separate and act as legs when crawling on the ground.

The pelvic fins of various fish can occupy different position, which is associated with a shift in the center of gravity caused by contraction of the abdominal cavity and concentration of the viscera in the front of the body. Abdominal position - when the ventral fins are located approximately in the middle of the abdomen, which we observe in sharks, herrings, and carp. In the thoracic position, the pelvic fins are shifted to the front of the body, as in perciformes. And finally, the jugular position, in which the ventral fins are located in front of the pectoral fins and on the throat, like in cod fish.

In some species of fish, the pelvic fins are turned into spines - like sticklebacks, or into suckers, like lumpfish. In male sharks and rays, the posterior rays of the ventral fins have evolved into copulatory organs and are called pterygopodia. Pelvic fins are completely absent in eels, catfish, etc.

Different groups of fish may have different quantity dorsal fins. Thus, herring and cyprinids have one, mullet and perch have two dorsal fins, and cods have three. In this case, the location of the dorsal fins may be different. In pike, the dorsal fin is shifted far back, in herrings and cyprinids it is located in the middle of the body, and in fish such as perch and cod, which have a massive front part of the body, one of them is located closer to the head. The longest and highest dorsal fin of the sailfish fish, reaching really large sizes. In flounder it looks like a long ribbon running along the entire back and, at the same time as the almost identical anal one, is their main organ of movement. And mackerel-like fish such as mackerel, tuna and saury acquired in the process of evolution small additional fins located behind the dorsal and anal fins.

Individual rays of the dorsal fin sometimes extend into long threads, and in the monkfish, the first ray of the dorsal fin is shifted to the muzzle and transformed into a kind of fishing rod. It is he who plays the role of bait, just like deep sea anglerfish. The latter have a special bait on this fishing rod, which is their luminous organ. The first dorsal fin of the sticky fish also moved to the head and turned into a real sucker. The dorsal fin in sedentary bottom-dwelling fish species is poorly developed, such as in catfish, or may be completely absent, as in stingrays. The famous electric eel also lacks a dorsal fin....

TOPIC 1.

Fish fins Organi dikhannya, zora ta rasmu.

FISH FINS

The fins are characteristic feature structure of fish. They are divided into paired, corresponding to the limbs of higher vertebrates, and unpaired, or vertical.

Paired fins include pectoral and ventral fins. Unpaired ones consist of a dorsal (one to three), caudal and anal (one or two). Salmon, grayling and other fish have an adipose fin on their back, and mackerel, tuna, and saury have small additional fins behind the dorsal and anal fins. The position of the fins on the body, their shape, size, structure and functions are very diverse. Fish use fins to move, maneuver and maintain balance. The caudal fin plays the main role in moving forward in most fish. It performs the work of the most advanced propeller with rotating blades and stabilizes the movement. The dorsal and anal fins are a kind of keels for giving the fish’s body the desired stable position.

Two sets of paired fins serve for balance, braking and steering.

The pectoral fins are usually located behind the gill openings. The shape of the pectoral fins is related to the shape of the caudal fins: they are rounded in fish that have a rounded tail. Good swimmers have pointed pectoral fins. The pectoral fins of flying fish are especially strongly developed. Thanks to high speed movement and blows of the caudal fin, flying fish jump out of the water and soar on wing-shaped pectoral fins, covering a distance of up to 100-150 m in the air. Such flights help them hide from the pursuit of predators.

The pectoral fins of the monkfish have a segmented, fleshy base. Relying on them monkfish moves along the bottom in leaps and bounds, as if on legs.

The location of the pelvic fins varies from fish to fish. In lowly organized fish (sharks, herring, carp) they are located on the belly. In more highly organized fish, the pelvic fins move forward, occupying a position under the pectoral fins (perch, mackerel, mullet). In cod fish, the pelvic fins are located in front of the pectoral fins.

In gobies, the pelvic fins are fused into a funnel-shaped sucker.

The pelvic fins of the lumpfish have changed into an even more amazing adaptation. Their suction cup holds the fish so firmly that it is difficult to tear it off the stone.

From unpaired fins special attention deserves a tail, complete absence which is observed very rarely (stingrays). Based on the shape and location relative to the end of the spine, several types of caudal fins are distinguished: asymmetrical (heterocercal) - in sharks, sturgeons, etc.; falsely symmetrical (homocercal) - in most bony fish.

The shape of the caudal fin is closely related to the fish's lifestyle and especially its ability to swim. Good swimmers are fish with lunate, fork-shaped and notched tails. Less mobile fish have a truncated, rounded caudal fin. In sailboats it is very large (up to 1.5 m long), they use it as a sail, placing it above the surface of the water. In spiny-finned fish, the rays of the dorsal fin are strong spines, often equipped with poisonous glands.

A peculiar transformation is observed in the sticky fish. Its dorsal fin moves to its head and turns into a suction disk, with the help of which it attaches to sharks, whales, and ships. In anglerfish, the dorsal fin moves to the snout and extends into a long thread that serves as a bait for prey.