Positive Buoyancy and Air-Breathing: A New Piscine Gas Bladder Function

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Dormitator latifrons is unique among known air-breathing fishes in that it emerges an external respiratory organ when in hypoxic water. The fish normally does so by using supports or generating positive buoyancy by inflation of the gas bladder. To inflate the gas bladder in hypoxic water fish must first emerge the external respiratory organ. The gas bladder is then inflated with oxygen and carbon dioxide. However, inflation of the gas bladder did not commonly occur in the laboratory unless fish were away from visual and auditory disturbances.