Beefheart
Member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2011
- Messages
- 79
Say what? They breathe air?
Rather than be lazy (as is my tendency), I did a little research and learned about how snakeheads do indeed have the ability to breathe air, but lacking a diaphragm they need to submerge to facilitate oxygen exchange. Really interesting stuff.
This is from a Virginia Tech fact sheet on Northern Snakeheads:
Northern snakeheads do breathe air. Unlike many other air-breathing fishes, they have a series of spaces in the rear portion of their head called the suprabranchial chamber. These spaces are filled with folded tissues that have a high surface area, and allow oxygen exchange to occur directly between air and their blood. Unlike humans, they lack a diaphragm, and use water to exchange old air with fresh air each time they take a breath. Thus, their ability to breathe air when out of the water is limited. Northern snakeheads could survive out of the water for several days if they are kept moist, but would desiccate and perish in minutes if placed on dry land in direct sunlight. Northern snakeheads also have gills, and breathe water like any other fish. They breathe air to supplement their demand for oxygen, and appear to breathe air far more frequently when they are actively swimming, much like a runner gasps for breath compared to someone who is sitting and reading.
