Gill slit
Gill slits are individual openings to
bony fishes have a single outer bony gill covering called an operculum
.
Most sharks and rays have five pairs of gill slits, but a few species have 6 or 7 pairs. Shark gill slits lie in a row behind the head. The anterior edge of a gill slit is motile, moving outward to allow water to exit, but closing to prevent reverse flow. A modified slit, called a
asphyxiate if unable to move. Obligate ram ventilation is also true of some pelagic bony fish species.[3]
The true gill slits in embryonic fish develop into
chordates.[citation needed
]
See also
References
- ISBN 0-07-237716-X.
- doi:10.3099/mcz2.1.
- ^ William J. Bennetta (1996). "Deep Breathing". Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2007-08-28.