Are there any fish that can breathe air?

In one line

The rule

Some fish have special organs that let them take in oxygen from air, not just from water through gills.

Let's understand it simply

Imagine you are stuck in a room with very little air. You would find it hard to breathe. Most fish feel the same way if they are out of water, because their gills (the organs that take oxygen from water) do not work in air. But some fish have a backup plan! They have special body parts, like lungs or air-breathing organs, that let them use the oxygen in air, just like we do. This helps them survive when water has little oxygen or when they are out of water for some time.

How it works

1. Most fish use gills to take oxygen from water.
2. Some fish have extra organs, like lungs or a special pouch, to take oxygen from air.
3. These fish come up to the surface and gulp air into these organs.
4. Oxygen from the air moves into their blood through these organs.
5. This helps them survive in water with low oxygen or even on land for a short time.

The story behind it

Scientists noticed that some fish could live in muddy ponds or even survive outside water for hours. Over time, they found that these fish had special organs for breathing air. The famous walking catfish and the climbing perch in India are examples. These discoveries helped us understand how animals adapt to tough places.

Where you see it in real life

• Climbing perch (Anabas): Found in India, it can breathe air and even move across land to find new water bodies.
• Walking catfish: Seen in parts of India and Southeast Asia, it can "walk" on land and breathe air.
• Lungfish: Found in Africa, South America, and Australia, it has lungs and can survive out of water for months.
• Snakehead fish (Channa): Common in Indian ponds, it comes to the surface to gulp air.
• Betta fish (Siamese fighting fish): Popular in aquariums, it uses a special organ called the labyrinth to breathe air.

Why it matters

• These fish can live in places where water dries up or has very little oxygen.
• They help farmers and fishermen, as they can survive in ponds that sometimes dry up.
• Studying them helps scientists understand how animals adapt to their environment.
• Some of these fish are important for food and the aquarium trade.

Common mistakes

• Thinking all fish die quickly out of water. Some can survive for hours or even days!
• Believing only mammals have lungs. Some fish have lung-like organs too.
• Mixing up gills and lungs. Gills work in water, lungs or special organs work in air.

Remember it

Some fish have a "Plan B" for breathing: they can use air when water is not enough.