Definition of PECTORAL FIN

Examples of pectoral fin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The collar refers to the section that begins directly behind the head and ends just behind the pectoral fin (right before the start of the fillet). — Cosmo Genova, Field & Stream, "How to Cook Trout and Salmon Collars," 23 Apr. 2020 The three-foot-long creatures live near Australia, moving their pectoral fins in the front and pelvic fins in the back to plod along, writes Nat Geo’s Douglas Main. — National Geographic, "Will global health emergencies end china's wildlife markets?," 30 Jan. 2020 The chambers that fill with the battery/hydraulic fluid to move the fish and pectoral fins also contain the electrodes that allow the battery to function. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Researchers make a robotic fish with a battery for blood," 19 June 2019 These three-foot-long creatures live near Australia, and, as their name implies, move their pectoral fins in the front and pelvic fins in the back to plod along the seafloor—or even atop coral reefs, outside the water, at low tide. — National Geographic, "These sharks have evolved to walk on land—and they did it quickly," 23 Jan. 2020 While most cetaceans' pectoral fins are only one-seventh of their body length, a humpback's flippers can reach up to one-third of its body length. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Watch Humpback Whales Scoop Fish Into Their Mouths Using Their Fins," 17 Oct. 2019 Fishermen and biologists have long puzzled over the size and distinctive shape of a humpback’s pectoral fins, which can grow up to 5 meters in length, and measure from one-quarter to one-third of their body length. — Virginia Morell, Science | AAAS, "‘Bingo!’ In a remarkable first, humpback whales spied using their fins to scoop up fish," 15 Oct. 2019 Kosma was able to see exactly how two adult male humpbacks were using their pectoral fins. — Virginia Morell, Science | AAAS, "‘Bingo!’ In a remarkable first, humpback whales spied using their fins to scoop up fish," 15 Oct. 2019 And of course, the design could be simplified and made more efficient if the pectoral fin display and all the hardware that supports it were eliminated. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Researchers make a robotic fish with a battery for blood," 19 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pectoral fin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.