Cristina Zenato

Cristina Zenato Instagram – Sharks and their fins.
There is so much to say about the different species of sharks and their unique fins that we could write a whole book about the relationship between the location, shape, size, presence, or absence of some of them and what a shark “does for a living.”All species of sharks present pectoral fins, which are considered the animal’s steering wheel.Sharks determine direction, speed, and attitude in the water column by moving their pectoral fins.
They also all have a primary dorsal fin, which is like the rudder of a boat or a surfboard, a stabilizer for their bodies in the water.
All of them also have pelvic fins; these two fins are where their sex is visible, a genital slit known as cloaca for the females and two extensions sausage looking for the males, known as claspers.
Last but not least, they have a caudal fin, considered the propeller of the animal, the motor that pushes the shark forward; some species present both a visible and distinct upper and lower lobe, while some species have almost lost the lower lobe.
On the other end, some species present a second dorsal fin and an anal fin, while some lack one or both.
The symmetry and size of the fins cause more or less drag, depending on how the shark functions.If we look at the fins of a great white o mako, for example, we notice they are all primarily proportionate and balanced with each other; this allows these species to be fast and direct hunters (the pointy nose and the large gill slits add to it, but this is for another post.)
If we look at a nurse shark, we notice that the caudal fin lacks a prominent lower lobe and has a very elongated upper lobe with a pushed-back dorsal fin.
Start looking for different shark species and analyze their fins, size, and position, and try to guess what they do for a living; it’s a fun game!
Video @kewinlorenzen @isotta_underwater_housings | Posted on 31/Aug/2024 18:46:25