adjective
- having a tail fin in which the upper and lower lobes are approximately equal in size and shape, with the vertebral column ending at or near the base of the tail
Usage: biology; ichthyology; technical
Examples
- Most modern fish species have a homocercal tail fin.
- The homocercal condition is characteristic of teleost fishes.
- Unlike sharks, which have heterocercal tails, salmon possess a homocercal tail structure.
- Biologists classify fish partly by whether their tails are homocercal or heterocercal.
- The homocercal tail provides better maneuverability in water.