How Fish Smell and Breathe

I've completed part of my term project, focusing on the "nostrils," or more properly, nares in fish. I based my findings primarily on Koi anatomy. Species vary. In species with barbel (the hair-like appendage from sides of mouth, like this koi) are also used in the detection of scent / food as well.
Sense of Smell
750 pixels

Sense of Smell
750 pixels

Adding longer cilia. Needs some trimming.

Just completed this morning... the model is still in the process of drying.

Model based on Roles of the olfactory epithelium, glomerulus, and mitral cells-olfactory nerve in smell.

Sense of Smell


Additional images of Koi Nares
Sense of Smell
Full size resolution

Labels on nares (nostrils) and barbel which are also involved with scent.

Sense of Smell
Full size resolution


Sense of Smell
Full size resolution


Sense of Smell
Full size resolution


Sense of Smell
Full size resolution


Sense of Smell
Full size resolution


Sense of Smell
Full size resolution


Sense of Smell
Full size resolution


This weekend I also worked on "How Fish Breathe," and doing an overview on the gills.
Sense of Smell
750 pixels

3 comments:

Roffi Grandiosa said...

Thats a quite good project you did. If ever you need information on the latest news of Indonesian aquaculture, you could visit my blog at http://aquaculture-indonesia.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

See I too am am working on a marine documentry film for aquabot sponsor project...and I go through your submission; its indeed a pretty useful information. According to my knowledge in fishes, the nose is not connected to the mouth, except in a handful of species. Fishes use their noses only to smell, not to breathe - with the exception of the electric stargazer and its very close relatives, and perhaps certain eels. Smell and taste are rather difficult to tell apart under water; at any rate there is a lot of evidence that fishes can be acutely sensitive to chemical substances. Many of them have taste buds over much of their bodies, and thus are able to detect the presence of food even with their tails. Usually barbels and other sensory organs are especially well equipped with taste buds.

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