Abstract
Gills are the typical respiratory organ of fish in their usual habitat of well-aerated water. The transition from water- to air-breathing required many modifications to the structural and physiological adaptations of the gas-exchange surfaces, i.e. gill, skin, swimbladder and other accessory organs of the alimentary canal. The skin is particularly important among air-breathing fish. This histological study showed varying degrees of adaptation of parts of the skin from different body regions, paying particular attention to the water/blood barrier. The results suggest a general importance in gas exchange in the following order: gill, inner operculum, nasal, body and outer opercular skin, as indicated by increasing thickness of the water/blood barrier.
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Schedule a callMore From: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
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