Water flow dynamics in the respiratory tract of the carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

Abstract

Simultaneous measurements of water velocity in the buccal chamber, and buccal and opercular hydrostatic pressure of carp have revealed surprisingly high water velocities. The high flow velocities mean that, at times, the kinetic energy of flow makes a substantial contribution to the total fluid energy. This suggests that there may be unequal distribution of hydrostatic pressures within the buccal chamber. Anatomical examinations showed that fluid channels in the buccal chamber and gill raker sieve are complex and can be expected to vary spatially and temporally throughout the respiratory cycle. It appears that there is a potential for error in many of the previous analyses of ‘gill resistance and energetics of fish breathing based solely on hydrostatic pressure measurements and the simplifying assumption of steady-state conditions.