Do fish drink water?

To survive, all terrestrial creatures need water. But do living things in water, in particular fish, need to drink water to sustain life? Let's find out in the article below.

All land animals, including humans, of course face the risk of dehydration and always need to add the amount of water needed to ensure the balance of water and salt in the body.

Fish and creatures always live in water, they drink water. But the way freshwater and seawater fish drink water is very special and varies, depending on their body composition.

Fish

For fish living in fresh water, the salt content is not as high as sea water. The concentration of salt in the blood of these fish is higher than the freshwater environment in which they live, so if drinking water, their blood will be at high risk of dilution. Therefore, freshwater fishes never actively drink water but they absorb water through the skin and carry it through osmosis. Excess water will be eliminated through the path of urination.

Saltwater fish

The salt concentration in the blood of saltwater fish is lower than the seawater, their habitat, so their bodies are easily dehydrated. So saltwater fish actively drink water.

Thanks to the special gill structure that is adaptable to the environment, saltwater fish can drink water and then treat it to remove excess salt through excretion.

Although fish drink water, they do not feel thirsty. This is because fish live in water, so their bodies do not have an urgent need to drink water. For fish, thirst is an instinctive reflex rather than a control impulse of the brain.

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