Results for “gill chamber”

Like others in the suborder Anabantoidei this species possesses an accessory breathing organ known as the labyrinth. So-called due to its maze-like structure this organ allows the fish to breathe atmospheric air to a certain extent. Comprising paired suprabranchial organs formed via expansion of the epibranchial (upper) section of the first gill arch and housed in a chamber above the gills, it contains...

An incredibly hardy species, M. albus has the ability to travel over land for short distances if kept moist and as mentioned above, often burrows into moist earth (sometimes up to a depth of 1.5 metres!) in order to survive dry conditions. It has only a single gill slit, located on the bottom of the throat, that allows it to trap air in its specially adapted gills. These contain an accessory breathing organ, which takes the form of a pair of lung-like sacs at the rear of the gill chamber. In thi...