Ontogeny and morphometrics of the gills and swim bladder of air-breathing striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus

Abstract

The air-breathing fish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus has been shown to have highly plastic branchial surfaces whose area (SA)increases with temperature and aquatic hypoxia. This modulation occurs through development of inter-lamellar cell mass (ILCM). Paradoxically, in conditions where this fish has been shown capable of covering its entire aerobic scope from the water phase, it has been shown to have a very small branchial SA. To address this paradox, we measured the SA, harmonic mean diffusion distance (τh) and calculated the anatomic diffusion factor (ADF) of the branchial and swim bladder surfaces in fish ranging from 3 to 1900 g at 27°C in normoxia. Since the lamellae were distinguishable from the ILCM, we measured the actual SA as well as the potential SA if ILCM were lost. As a result of lowτh, P. hypophthalmus has a high capacity for branchial oxygen uptake with or without ILCM. Actual and potential gill ADF were 361 and 1002 cm² μm⁻¹ kg⁻¹, respectively, for a 100 g fish and the ADF of the swim bladder was found to be 308 cm² μm⁻¹ kg⁻¹. By swimming fish to exhaustion at different temperatures, we show that modulation of this SA is rapid, indicating that the apparent paradox between previous studies is eliminated. Regression analysis of log–log plots of respiratory SA in relation to body mass shows that the gill scales with mass similarly to the SA in active water-breathing fish, whereas the swim bladder scales with mass more like the mammalian lung does. This fish presents a combination of respiratory surfaces not previously seen in air-breathing fish.