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Journal of Experimental Biology 55,667-682 (1971)
Published by Company of Biologists 1971

Gas Exchange with Air and Water in an Air-Breathing Catfish, Saccobranchus (Heteropneustes) Fossilis

G. M. HUGHES ¹ and B. N. SINGH ¹

¹ Research Unit for Comparative Animal Respiration, The University, Bristol BS8 1UG

1. Gas exchange of Saccobranchus fossilis with water and air has been studied under various experimental conditions which were designed to simulate some of the conditions of tropical Asia.

2. In tap water the fish exchanges gases with both water and air. When kept in air-saturated water it can exchange gases with water alone for periods of 6-12 h or even more. In de-oxygenated water, with free access to air, it obtains oxygen from the air and can live for several days under these conditions.

3. In air-saturated water more oxygen is obtained from water (60%) than from air (40%), but in hypoxic water this ratio is reversed.

4. When the fish is submerged in water, free access to air being prevented, the oxygen consumption is reduced, even in air-saturated water. In hypoxic and hypercarbic water oxygen consumption is further reduced. In air-saturated water about 17% of the oxygen enters via the skin and the rest via the gills. When exchanging gases with water alone and subjected to a gradual hypoxia, the fish shows a less dependent respirator.

5. When the fish is removed from the water its oxygen consumption is reduced. A greater reduction occurs when the fish is kept in de-oxygenated water but allowed to breathe air.

6. When the fish is exchanging gases with both water and air very little carbon dioxide is released into the air (RQ = 0·17). The total RQ in fish removed from the water is low, i.e. 0·58. The fish can survive in hypercarbic water only, provided that the content of carbon dioxide does not exceed 14·5 volumes %, when surfacing becomes necessary.

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