What do fish drink when they get thirsty?

What do fish drink when they get thirsty?

So these fish actually lose water through osmosis: it passes from their body, through their skin and gills, out into the sea. Thirsty work. Since they’re constantly losing water this way, these fish have to drink a lot of seawater to stay hydrated.

How do fish stay hydrated?

Most fish that live in the ocean tend to lose water–the high salt content of the ocean causes water to constantly flow out through the fish’s gills. So fish need to drink lots of seawater to stay hydrated.

Can a fish get thirsty?

The answer is still no; as they live in water they probably don’t take it in as a conscious response to seek out and drink water. Thirst is usually defined as a need or desire to drink water. It is unlikely that fish are responding to such a driving force.

Do fresh water fish drink water?

In short, fresh water fish do not drink water; but salt water fish do.

How do fish deal with salt water?

There is constant pressure to move out through the gills, and the only way they can deal with this is by drinking in the salty sea water through their mouths to rectify this balance. This then leaves them with too much salt in their bodies.

What is the difference between fresh water fish and salt water fish?

They may live in the sea but fish are again made up of a collection of cells that need water to function. However fresh water fish and salt water fish are able to obtain this water very differently. In short, fresh water fish do not drink water; but salt water fish do. Why the difference? Well, it all comes down to salt.

Why do fish have gills in the mouth?

In the case of freshwater fish, their blood and bodily fluids are much saltier than the water they swim in, so water will flow in through their gills. The opposite is true for saltwater fish.