COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE GILL AREA OF MARINE FISHES

Abstract

1. The gill areas of 31 species of marine teleost fishes have been compared.2. Active, fast swimming, schooling, streamlined fishes (such as menhaden, mackerel, bluefish) have relatively much greater gill areas than do sluggish, benthic species (toadfish, goosefish, flounders). Fishes of moderate activity (scup, sheepshead, sea bass, sea robin, puffer) are also intermediate in gill area.3. Species differences in gill area exist whether comparison is based on unit of body surface area or on unit of body weight.4. In general benthic fishes have fewer gill lamellae spaced farther apart than do fast swimmers.