The Secret Life of Fish: The Astonishing Truth About Our Aquatic Cousins by Doug Mackay-Hope

Author:Doug Mackay-Hope [Mackay-Hope, Doug]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: nature, animals, Marine Life, Pets, Fish & Aquariums, Sports & Recreation, Fishing, Endangered Species, science, Life Sciences, Zoology, Ichthyology & Herpetology
ISBN: 9780711261006
Google: AMESEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: White Lion Publishing
Published: 2021-11-02T00:16:43.411522+00:00

Breathing with a bladder

Alligator gar also breathe air. This in itself is not unique among fish as, like all other fish, gars have gills – but they also have an air bladder replete with innumerate tiny blood vessels that enables the gar to take in air, almost like a lung. Not only does this function aid buoyancy – that is, after all, the purpose of the swim bladder in every fish – but it is also used to oxygenate the blood. This adaptation means that the fish can live in the almost anaerobic water conditions in which most other fish would suffocate in minutes. The gar’s physiology has evolved to cope with a fluctuating world of floods and droughts – so much so, that even the largest gar can survive in a muddy puddle. A very atmospheric way of seeing this species in action is to visit Louisiana and wait for a perfect, still summer evening to take a small boat out on a lake. With the slight breeze tickling your hair, all around you will hear the explosive gulps and splashes of alligator gars – some that could weigh 45 kg (100 lb) or be 3 m (10 ft) long, as they take in noisy and copious gulps of air. It’s certainly some sight to see!

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