Gill filaments may become irritated and begin to swell. This interferes with respiration (resulting in additional stress), and eventually causes gill membranes to become susceptible to bacterial and parasitic invasion.
SYMPTOMS Rapid gill movements, swollen gills and discolored gill filaments with excess mucus. Fish do not eat, lie motionless in the tank or gasp at the water surface.
TREATMENT Improving the general water conditions often eases the problem.
Fish exchange gases by pulling oxygen-rich water through their mouths and pumping it over their gill filaments. The blood in the capillaries flows in the opposite direction to the water, causing counter current exchange.
Mike from Canada adds: "Yes, from each gill arch soft gill filaments radiate posteriorly and are used in breathing and osmoregulation and all that, but the anterior face of the gill arch has, to a varying extent, bony gill rakers.
Fins may also erode or fray and the gill filaments will deteriorate and the fish may begin panting. In acute cases the disease spreads very quickly and can kill entire tank populations in a matter of hours.
The Heter-opneustidae (Fossil Cats), have airsacs that run nearly the entire length of their bodies which are connected at the second and third gill arches by way of modified gill filaments and organs.
 See also: Filament, Fish, Water, Gill, Plants
  
|
RSS
