Operculum (fish)
Encyclopedia
The operculum of a bony fish
Osteichthyes
Osteichthyes , also called bony fish, are a taxonomic group of fish that have bony, as opposed to cartilaginous, skeletons. The vast majority of fish are osteichthyes, which is an extremely diverse and abundant group consisting of over 29,000 species...

 is the hard bony flap covering and protecting the gill
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...

s. In most fish, the rear edge of the operculum roughly marks the division between the head and the body.

The operculum is composed of four fused bones; the opercle, preopercle, interopercle, and subopercle. These appear to be derived from the separate gill-slit covers of an elasmobranch ancestor of the teleost fishes. The posterior rim of the operculum is equipped with a flexible, ribbed
structure which acts as a seal to prevent reverse water flow during respiration. The morphology of this anatomical feature varies greatly between species. For example, the bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...

 (Lepomis macrochirus) has a posteriorly and dorsally oriented rounded extension with a small black splotch present. In some species, the operculum can push water from the buccal cavity through the gills.

For some fish, opercula are vital in obtaining oxygen. They open as the mouth closes, causing the pressure inside the fish to drop. Water then flows towards the lower pressure across the fish's gill lamellae
Lamellae (zoology)
thumb|Lamellae on a gecko's foot.A lamella is a thin plate-like structure, often one amongst many lamellae very close to one another, with open space between...

, allowing some oxygen to be absorbed from the water.

Whereas the cartilaginous ratfishes
Holocephali
The subclass Holocephali is a taxon of cartilaginous fish, of which the order Chimaeriformes is the only surviving group.Holocephali has an extensive fossil record that starts during the Devonian period. However, most fossils are teeth, and the body forms of numerous species are not known, or, at...

 have soft and flexible opercular flaps, the sharks, rays and relatives (elasmobranch fish
Elasmobranchii
Elasmobranchii is a subclass of Chondrichthyes or cartilaginous fish, that includes the sharks and the rays and skates .-Evolution:...

es) lack opercula completely and respire instead through a series of gill slits perforating the body wall. Without opercula, other methods of getting water to the gills are required, such as ventilation
Ventilation (physiology)
In respiratory physiology, ventilation is the rate at which gas enters or leaves the lung. It is categorized under the following definitions:-Sample values:...

.
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