Yes. Fish have gills, but some also use other ways to get oxygen. Lungfish have lungs as well as gills, while mudskippers can exchange gases through their moist skin. So a fish that breathes air is not necessarily a fish without gills.
How do gills help fish breathe?
Gills take up dissolved oxygen from water and release carbon dioxide. Their thin folds, called lamellae, provide a large surface for gas exchange between water and blood, as described by the American Museum of Natural History.
The Australian Museum’s overview of fish says that all fish breathe using gills. This is a useful general rule, but it does not mean gills are every fish’s only route for getting oxygen.
Can fish breathe air as well as use gills?
Yes. Some fish have additional respiratory adaptations, so it helps to distinguish having gills from depending on gills alone.
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Lungfish use lungs as well as gills
Lungfish have gills and one or two lungs. The Australian Museum notes that Australian lungfish generally use their gills under most conditions. A 2023 study in Nature Communications describes differences among living lungfish: African and South American species depend strongly on air breathing, while Australian lungfish generally rely on gills.
Mudskippers exchange gases through moist skin
Mudskippers can spend extended periods out of water and supplement gill respiration with gas exchange through their skin. Their gill structures must remain moist, too. The American Museum of Natural History and Washington State University describe air breathing and gas exchange through skin or mouth tissues in fish; these adaptations do not mean mudskippers lack gills.
Quick Recap
What to remember about fish and gills
- Gills are the general breathing feature of fish and let them take up oxygen dissolved in water.
- Some fish also use lungs, modified gas bladders, or other surfaces such as moist skin to exchange gases.
- Air breathing is an additional or alternative way to obtain oxygen, not proof that a fish has no gills.
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