Animals that do not breathe air

26  MAY 2024

Credit: Google Images

Credit: Google Images

Fish Most fish use gills to extract oxygen from water. Water flows over the gill membranes, where oxygen is absorbed into the bloodstream, and carbon dioxide is expelled.

Credit: Google Images

Amphibians While adult amphibians often breathe air using lungs, many aquatic larvae (like tadpoles) use gills to extract oxygen from water.

Credit: Google Images

Crustaceans Many, such as crabs and lobsters, use gills to extract oxygen from water. Some crabs can live on land but still need to keep their gills moist to breathe.

Credit: Google Images

Cnidarians This group includes jellyfish and sea anemones, which absorb oxygen directly through their skin via diffusion.

Credit: Google Images

Echinoderms Sea stars, sea urchins, and their relatives often use structures called tube feet or skin gills (papulae) for gas exchange.

Credit: Google Images

Sponges These simple animals draw water through pores in their bodies, extracting oxygen directly from the water as it flows through their canal systems.

Credit: Google Images

Certain Annelids Some marine worms use their skin or specialized structures like parapodia to absorb oxygen from the water.

Credit: Google Images

Ctenophores These gelatinous marine animals absorb oxygen directly through their skin from the surrounding water.