why do large fishes have HORIZONTAL TAILS and small fishes have VERTICAL TAILS?

Answer 1

Vicarious is right. All fish, large or small, have vertical tails, from the whale shark http://www.elasmodiver.com/Sharkive%20images/Whale-shark-001.jpg to the smallest fish genus, Paedocypris http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/upload/2006/01/paedocypris.jpg
Aquatic mammals (air breathing, live bearing creatures like whales and dolphins), however, have horizontal tails. This is because their tails are actually modified feet. If your put your heels together and stick your feet out, you can imagine how a whale or a dolphin's tail formed.
http://richardbradley.net/uploaded_images/Sperm%20Whale%20Tail-774722.jpg

Answer 2

From what I know, among animals that live in water, only the mammals have horizontal tails. I would guess the reason is so they can get to the surface easier to breathe.

Dolphins and whales for example, are mammals. They live in the water like fish do, but they aren't fish. They breathe air, are warmblooded and their babies are born fully formed, which makes them mammals.

someone else probably has a more technical answer, but I think I covered the basic idea.

Answer 3

you dont ought to purchase yet another tank in simple terms circulate to walmart or petsmart and purchase a gold fish bowl and she or he could be happy that way she will consume and don't hardship approximately gettin attacked! If a female that wasn’t ripe, or waiting for spawning, could have entered a men tank, it’s plausible that she could’ve been attacked, as non-ripe women at the instant are not tolerated in the place of the nest. by making use of no longer fleeing, a female shows her readiness to spawn. specific, some situations while you at the instant are not careful whilst attempting too breed bettas, the male will assault the female and he can injure the female, the ladies are lots smaller than the lads. A Male and a female: in the wild, women shop removed from men, different than for the duration of mating. whilst cohabiting in tanks, men would kill women, and are frequently stored aside except (a) they are juvenile siblings, (b) they are breeding, (c) there's a partition, or (d) the tank is sufficiently huge for the female to flee assault. commonly, previously breeding, breeders use one in each and every of those field to permit female reveal with out risking harm by making use of the male. 2 or extra women: Bettas at the instant are not education fish, yet in a large tank with many hiding areas, female bettas can cohabit. whilst 2 women share a tank, one in many situations bullies the different, even nonetheless, 4 or extra women will set up a hierarchy allowing non violent co-life, nonetheless, women living in community must be monitored for aggressive women.

Answer 4

show me these fish. i think you're seeing things. they all have vertical tails dont they?? (i'm looking at a pic of a shark and one of a clownfish and they have the same tail orientation)

Answer 5

I don't know, good question, I've never really noticed!
I spose it helps more with balance.