Pelvic fin

Pelvic fins or ventral fins are paired fins located on the ventral surface of fish.

Pelvic fin of a Java barb

Structure and function

Structure

In actinopterygians, the pelvic fin consists of two bony girdles attached to bony radials. The lepidotrichia are positioned distally from the radials.

Function

A pelvic fin's function is to provide powered corrective forces.

Development

Unlike limb development in tetrapods, the pelvic fin bud emerges much later than the pectoral fin.

References

1. Shibukawa, Koichi, Dinh Dac Tran, and Loi Xuan Tran. "Phallostethus cuulong, a new species of priapiumfish (Actinopterygii: Atheriniformes: Phallostethidae) from the Vietnamese Mekong." Zootaxa 3363.1 (2012): 45-51.