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Most fish breathe through gills, which take oxygen from water. Some fish, including lungfish, also breathe air using lungs; a few others, such as tarpon, use specialized tissue linked to a swim bladder instead. These are distinct adaptations, not evidence that fish generally breathe well out of water.
How do gills help fish breathe?
Most bony fish exchange gases at gills behind the mouth. Water flows into the mouth and over the gills as the fish swims or pumps water through its mouth and gill chamber. The gills’ folded surfaces provide area for oxygen dissolved in the water to enter the body and for carbon dioxide to leave. Smithsonian Q?rius explains the usual gill mechanism.
Gills are adapted for extracting oxygen from water, not for breathing air. In air, fish gills can collapse, so a fish’s ability to remain out of water depends on adaptations specific to its kind. Smithsonian Ocean describes these limits and air-breathing adaptations.
Do any fish have lungs?
Yes. Lungfish have lung-like organs and breathe air. In a Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History webinar, fish specialist Adela Roa-Varón answered an audience question about whether some fish have lungs: “But yes, we have lungfishes and they have lungs like we do and they have to get out of the water and take a gulp of air for breathing.” The webinar records the question and answer.
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Living lungfish occur in Africa, South America, and Australia. African and South American lungfish can survive dry periods by burrowing and becoming dormant, according to the Natural History Museum’s 2024 account of lungfish. That example should not be taken to mean every lungfish species has identical needs or behavior.
Can fish breathe air without lungs?
Yes. Air breathing does not always involve lungs. Tarpon gulp air and use specialized tissue associated with a modified swim bladder connected to the esophagus. This adds to the oxygen they obtain through their gills; it is a different arrangement from a lungfish’s lung-based air breathing. Smithsonian Ocean describes tarpon’s swim-bladder adaptation.
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How the main fish breathing strategies differ
| Strategy | Where the oxygen comes from | Gas-exchange organ or tissue | Relationship to gill breathing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usual gill breathing | Oxygen dissolved in water | Gills | The primary method for most fish, including most bony fish. |
| Lungfish air breathing | Air | Lungs or lung-like organs | Lungfish are air-breathing fish; the sources cited here do not establish identical reliance on air across all species. |
| Tarpon air breathing | Air | Specialized tissue associated with a modified swim bladder | Supplements oxygen obtained through the gills. |
What this means for fish out of water
Do not assume that a fish can breathe out of water just because some fish take in air. Most fish rely on gills that work in water, and air-breathing species do so through particular organs or tissues. Lungfish and tarpon illustrate different adaptations; they are exceptions to the usual pattern, not a rule for fish generally.
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