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A fish's hypoxia tolerance can be represented in different ways. A commonly used representation is the critical O 2 tension (P crit), which is the lowest water O 2 tension (P O 2) at which a fish can maintain a stable O 2 consumption rate (M O 2). [2] A fish with a lower P crit is therefore thought to be more hypoxia-tolerant than a fish with a ...
The concentration of oxygen in water is lower than air and it diffuses more slowly. In a litre of freshwater the oxygen content is 8 cm 3 per litre compared to 210 in the same volume of air. [7] Water is 777 times more dense than air and is 100 times more viscous. [7] Oxygen has a diffusion rate in air 10,000 times greater than in water. [7]
In some fish, capillary blood flows in the opposite direction to the water, causing countercurrent exchange. The muscles on the sides of the pharynx push the oxygen-depleted water out the gill openings. In bony fish, the pumping of oxygen-poor water is aided by a bone that surrounds the gills called the operculum. [6]
Fish from multiple groups can live out of the water for extended time periods. Amphibious fish such as the mudskipper can live and move about on land for up to several days, or live in stagnant or otherwise oxygen depleted water. Many such fish can breathe air via a variety of mechanisms. The skin of anguillid eels may absorb oxygen directly.
The blood carries oxygen to other parts of the body. Carbon dioxide passes from the blood through the thin gill tissue into the water. Gills or gill-like organs, located in different parts of the body, are found in various groups of aquatic animals, including mollusks, crustaceans, insects, fish, and amphibians.
In shallow water fish, the ratios closely approximate that of the atmosphere, while deep sea fish tend to have higher percentages of oxygen. For instance, the eel Synaphobranchus has been observed to have 75.1% oxygen, 20.5% nitrogen , 3.1% carbon dioxide , and 0.4% argon in its swim bladder.
Meaning, fish that typically do not spend their life span in deep water or in the open ocean, as they tend to have less bioaccumulation of methylmercury. Here are six low-mercury fish dietitians ...
Decreased levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) is a major contributor to poor water quality. Not only do fish and most other aquatic animals need oxygen, aerobic bacteria help decompose organic matter. When oxygen concentrations become low, anoxic conditions may develop which can decrease the ability of the water body to support life.