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Question

Do Lampreys Have An Operculum?


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Solution

Operculum:

The operculum is the bony flap that guards the gills. It opens and closes to let water travel through the gills.

Lampreys:

The sea lamprey is a parasitic fish found in the Atlantic Ocean's northern and western hemispheres. They do not have an operculum.

  1. Lampreys, unlike "bony" fish such as trout, cod, and herring, lack scales, fins, and gill coverings. Their skeletons, like sharks', are comprised of cartilage. They breathe through seven pairs of tiny gill holes positioned behind their mouths and eyes.
  2. The operculum is important for some fish in acquiring oxygen.
  3. It opens as the fish's mouth closes, lowering the pressure inside the animal. Water then travels across the gill lamellae of the fish, allowing some oxygen to be taken from the water. Cartilaginous fishes lack an operculum.

So, The Lampreys does not have an operculum.


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