Morphometrics of gills during growth and development of the air‐breathing habit in Colisa fasciatus (Bloch and Schneider)

Abstract

Gill area and other component parameters of Colisajasciuius during early life were measured for fish larvae divided into two groups (a) exclusively aquatic and (b) bimodal breathers. Statistical analyses of the data in relation to body size yielded two significantly different straight lines (one for aquatic and other for bimodal breathers) for each parameter. Morphological examinations ofgill arches indicated that an increase in the gill area was brought about mainly by an increase in the filament length. The higher slope value (2.41) of gill area in the aquatic phase than that in the bimodal phase (b =0.80) is suggestive of a higher weight-specific metabolism in the younger larvae. A heterogenous growth pattern during early ontogenesis of the fish results in intraspecific variation in the gill dimensions which might have been influenced by the acquisition of the airbreathing mechanism in the post-larval stage, besides ecological factors.

Hypoxia‐induced developmental plasticity of the gills and air‐breathing organ of Trichopodus trichopterus

“…Secondary lamellae generally form on filaments around 4 dpf in anabantids (Hughes et al , ; Prasad, ) and tremendously augment the surface area of the gills. This allows for improved branchial gas exchange as oxygen demand increases throughout development.…”

“…As body size increases, blood convection begins to contribute to oxygen distribution, and the later development of the gills leads to active oxygen uptake via branchial respiration. In air‐breathing species, the transition to air breathing commences when the diffusion distances at the skin and gills increase to the point when oxygen uptake across these surfaces is no longer adequate (Prasad, ; Graham, ). For anabantids, the onset of air breathing usually takes place at 18–20 days post‐fertilization (dpf), when the animal has reached a fork length ( L F ) of 10–12 mm (Das, ; Peters, ; Graham, ).…”

Estimation of oxygen‐diffusing capacity in the gills of different sizes of a tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

“…Few measurements on gills during early developmental stages are available (Price, 1931, on small-mouthed black bass; Morgan, 1974, on rainbow trout;De Silva, 1974, on herring and plaice; Iwai & Hughes, 1977, on the black sea bream; Oikawa & Itazawa, 1985, on carp;De Silva & Thabrew, 1986, on 0. niloticus; Prasad, 1988, on an obligate air-breathing fish, Colisa fasciatus). The present study investigated changes in gill respiratory surface area and water/blood diffusion distances of a wide range of body weights in a homogeneous population of the warm-water teleost, 0. niloticus.…”

Seasonal shifts within juvenile recruit sex ratio of Pampas mice (Akodon azarae)

“…These parameters have been useful in estimating oxygen-diffusing capacity of the gills of a number of fish species morphometrically (Hughes, 1972(Hughes, , 1978Hughes & Perry, 1976;Piiper et al, 1986;. Oxygen-diffusing capacity has also been determined physiologically in fish gills (Randall, Holeton & Stevens, 1967;Baumgarten-Schumann & Piiper, 1968 Prasad, 1988, on an obligate air-breathing fish, Colisa fasciatus). The present study investigated changes in gill respiratory surface area and water/blood diffusion distances of a wide range of body weights in a homogeneous population of the warm-water teleost, 0. niloticus.…”