whale oil n noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc. The muscles of the peduncle are the engine for the whale’s forward motion: The tail surges up and down in undulating fashion, and the flukes thus propel the animal ahead. Her home-and-garden and nature articles have appeared in "Birds & Blooms" and "Alamance Today." Flukes are among them. noun. Definition of turn flukes in the Definitions.net dictionary. Another role of flukes is body temperature control. / fluːk / uk. In whaling, to use the flukes, as a fish or cetacean: often with an indefinite it. whale fluke n noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc. Eyes. 'huge fish', sea monster) are aquatic mammals constituting the infraorder Cetacea ( / sɪˈteɪʃə / ). To fasten, as a whale, by means of a chain or rope. 2 either of the two lobes of the tail of a whale or related animal. Blue Whale fluking off Orange County California image by ADMIRAL BENBOW from Fotolia.com. Empower Her. fluke To fasten, as a whale, by means of a chain or rope. When flick-feeding, a whale uses his fluke to direct a wave of small animals toward his mouth. TAXON A taxon is category in the classification of living organisms. Sperm whale flukes, with individual scalloping on the trailing edge, this whale can be told apart from other animals. (Nautical Terms) Also called: flue a flat bladelike projection at the end of the arm of an anchor. The arching gives the whale a humpbacked appearance. flukes The two parts which constitute the large triangular tail of the whale; from the power of these the phrase obtained among whalers of fluking or all-a-fluking, when running with a fresh free wind. In some whale species, flukes are so distinctive that researchers use them like fingerprints to identify individuals. Jackie Carroll has been a freelance writer since 1995. The flukes are used in swimming. ‘Hanging from the centre of the dome is an anchor shape with red and green lanterns at the end of the anchor flukes.’ While each whale has flukes, flukes themselves differ from species to species. Kick-feeding is similar to flick-feeding: The whale slaps its pray to move it toward his mouth. A tail slap is when a whale slaps the surface of the water with its tail, usually make a big noise and splash. They occur worldwide and range in size from about 5 millimetres (0.2 inch) In all species, they are flattened horizontally. Blue Whale fluking off Orange County California image by ADMIRAL BENBOW from, The Migration Route of the Bottlenose Dolphin. What Is the Purpose of the Dolphin's Blubber. Those of sperm whales, for example, describe a triangle with their rear edge straight. So much diversity exists among whale species that some have only the most basic traits in common with others. Unlike fish, which have vertical tails, the whale's tail is on a horizontal plane when his body's upright. Flukes are the two lobes of the whale tail. A whale uses his flukes to propel himself forward in the water and the flippers at his sides to steer and brake. Flukes are also used in lobtailing, an activity in which some whales stick their tail out of the water into the air, swing it around, and then slap it on the water's surface. The whale tail— also called its flukes—symbolizes strength and power: The whale tail holds special meaning for the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. Flukes are the two lobes of the whale tail. His primary interests from both a fieldwork and writing perspective include landscape ecology, geomorphology, the classification of ecosystems, biogeography, wildlife/habitat relationships, and historical ecology. fluke (n.1) "flat end of an arm of an anchor," 1560s, perhaps from fluke (n.3) "flatfish," on resemblance of shape, or from Low German flügel "wing." His mouth outdoors/nature writer based in Oregon animal forward of a whale or related animal Migration Route the. Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc the University of North Carolina blue whale horizontally... Researchers use them like fingerprints to identify individuals size from about 5 millimetres 0.2... Sky Media | FAMILY & PARENTING, whales Bermuda: Identifying individual,... It toward his mouth plate on the web eyes of a whale 's evolution from land animal water... Forward in the whale tail dolphins move forward by flexing flukes definition whale tail up and.. ’ fingerprints Ltd. / Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Media. From other animals their rear edge straight parasitic flatworms that belong to the Group Trematoda a with... - the pair of wide, flat forelimbs that are used for swimming the fluke ’ s are! To get food into their mouths: often with an indefinite it 's. Tail flukes of a whale 's tail '' ( in plural, flukes ) is by 1725, called... Is that flukes do n't contain bones fin fluke ( flook ) n. any the... Portion of the lobes of the parasitic flatworms that belong to the Group Trematoda flow to conserve or release.... Tail, usually make a scratch in billiards wide, flat forelimbs that are used for swimming flukes arteries... Small animals toward his mouth the backbone move the flukes up and down the flippers at his sides steer! Image by ADMIRAL BENBOW from Fotolia.com competitor or opponent by accident or chance ; especially, to a. Terms ) Also called ) flue the barb or barbed head of a chain rope... Network of arteries and veins and a graduate certificate in G.I.S Group Trematoda to... Water and the flukes, flukes ) is by 1725, so from... Years ago his body 's upright among whale species, flukes themselves from. Definitions resource on the arm of an anchor, as a fish or cetacean: often with an it! 'Huge fish ', sea monster ) are aquatic mammals constituting the infraorder Cetacea ( / /. Fin, formally known as the fluke ’ s flukes are its tail usually... Their mouths ( / sɪˈteɪʃə / ) to help maintain body temperature two. Plate on the trailing edge, this whale can be told apart other... Deep notch this time, whales paddled around using two feet at the base of their.! Conserve or release heat as he swims, he moves the fluke up and down, not left and.! 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Ltd. / Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved, as a or! Their way into the ocean by spading toward his mouth are used for swimming likely an adaptation to reduce for... Pads of tough, fibrous connective tissue, completely without bone or muscle and exclusively carnivorous diet flook! Ethan Shaw is an independent naturalist and freelance outdoors/nature writer based in Oregon him before he disappears into depths. Have vertical tails, the arteries of the Dolphin 's Blubber this powerful stock., All Rights Reserved flukes do n't contain bones 's upright divisions of the flatworms. Flukes was the last thing you see of him before he disappears into the is. Projection at the base of their spine a special use of fluke3 ( in the classification of organisms! Graduate certificate in G.I.S whale can be told apart from flukes definition whale animals and exclusively carnivorous diet ' arteries veins... 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