The Distribution of Blood Flow in the Gills of Fish: Application of a New Technique to Rainbow Trout (salmo Gairdneri)

Injecting vitally stained blood cells into the ventral aorta of unrestrained cannulated fish, and rapid freezing in liquid nitrogen, provided a method of investigating blood flow patterns in the gills. Rainbow trout in air-saturated water perfused an average of 58% of the secondary lamellae of the gills. Perfusion of the filamental central compartment was insignificant indicating that the effects of any non-respiratory shunting would be unimportant. If the functional surface area of the gills is variable, it seems likely that this would be accomplished through lamellar recruitment. There was no evidence that pillar cell contraction affected lamellar perfusion. There was preferential perfusion of lamellae near the base of the filaments, and of filaments near the dorsal end of the gill arches.