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Compare and contrast osmoregulation of freshwater fish and marine fish.
On Sep 22, 2024
Freshwater fishes live in a hypotonic environment; consequently, water continuously enters the body, and salts diffuse out. To counteract these tendencies, the gills move some water out and actively transport salts in. In addition, the kidneys excrete large amounts of dilute urine.
Marine fishes live in a hypertonic environment; consequently, they lose water via osmosis and gain salt. To compensate, marine bony fishes drink sea water, their gills excrete salt, and their kidneys excrete only small amounts of urine.