[See Müller, “Vergleichende Anatomie des Gefäss-systems der Myxinoiden;” and “Ueber den Bau und die Grenzen der Ganoiden.”]
Fig. 60.—Gills of Ceratodus.
x, Arcus aortæ; gl, Glossohyal; ch, Ceratohyal; u, Attachment of the first gill to the walls of the gill-cavity; h, Pseudobranchia; x’, x”, two series of gill-rakers belonging to the Pseudobranchia.
Accessory respiratory organs for retaining water or breathing air, such as are found in the Labyrinthici, Ophiocephalidæ, certain Siluridæ, and Lutodira, are structures so specialised that they are better described in the accounts of the Fishes in which they have been observed.
Air-Bladder.—The air-bladder, one of the most characteristic organs of fishes, is a hollow sac, formed of several tunics, containing gas, situated in the abdominal cavity, but without the peritoneal sac, entirely closed or communicating by a duct with the intestinal tract. Being compressible, its special functions consist in altering the specific gravity of the fish or in changing the centre of gravity. In a few fishes it assumes the function of the organ of higher Vertebrates, of which it is the homologue—viz. of a lung.
The gas contained in the air-bladder is secreted from its inner surface. In most freshwater fishes it consists of nitrogen, with a very small quantity of oxygen and a trace of carbonic acid; in sea-fishes, especially those living at some depth, oxygen predominates, as much as 87 per cent having been found. Davy found in the air-bladder of a fresh-run Salmon a trace of carbonic acid and 10 per cent of oxygen, the remainder of the gas being nitrogen.
An air-bladder is absent in Leptocardii, Cyclostomi, Chondropterygii, and Holocephali; but occurs in all Ganoids, in which, besides, its respiratory functions more or less clearly manifest themselves. Its occurrence in Teleosteans is most irregular, closely allied species sometimes differing from each other in this respect; it shows in this sub-class the most extraordinary modifications, but has no respiratory function whatever.
Constantly situated within the abdominal cavity, below the vertebral column, but without the sac of the peritoneum which covers only its ventral portion, the air-bladder is frequently prolonged into the tail, the prolongation being either simple and lodged between the non-united parapophyses, or double and penetrating between the muscles and hæmapophyses of each side. In the opposite direction processes of the air-bladder may penetrate into the skull, as has been mentioned above (p. 117). In some fishes the air-bladder is almost loose in the abdominal cavity, whilst in others it adheres most intimately by firm and short tissue to the vertebral column, the walls of the abdomen, and the intestines. In the Cobitina and many Siluroids it is more or less completely enclosed in osseous capsules formed by the vertebræ.