The Life of Air-Breathing Fishes : Palaeo-Ecology, Evolution, Diversity, Cardio-Respiratory Innovations and Life Pattern, Vol. I and II
Contents: Vol. I: Acknowledgements. Preface. List of equivalents units. Introduction. 1. Environment function form relationship. 2. The bearing of ecological factors on the evolution of air-breathing fishes. 3. Ecology of natural habitat of air-breathing fishes. 4. Biological diversity in air-breathing fishes. 5. Bionomics of air-breathing Teleostean fishes of India. 6. Food and feeding habits. 7. Alimentary canal system. 8. Fish gills. 9. The Pseudobranch. 10. Accessory respiratory organs. 11. Bimodal gas exchange. 12. Scaling of the dimensions of gills and accessory respiratory organs of air-breathing fishes. 13. Role of gills and Accessory Respiratory Organs (ARO) in homeostasis. References. Fish index. Author index. Subject.
Vol. II: 1. The cardio-vascular system. 2. Haematology. 3. The integument. 4. Urinogenital system. 5. Life pattern and life style and reproductive cycle in air-breathing fishes. 6. Embryonic and larval development. 7. Growth and bio-energetics. 8. Sensory biology. 9. Pineal organ. 10. Structure of eye. 11. Olfactory organs. 12. The ductless glands. 13. Pituitary glands. 14. Cytogenetics of air-breathing fishes. 15. Xenobiotic toxicity in air-breathing fishes. 16. Cranial and eye muscles of air-breathing. 17. Capture and culture fisheries of commercially important air-breathing fishes. References. Appendix. Epilogue. Fish index. Author index. Subject index.
From the Preface: The evolutionary history of air-breathing habit in early vertebrates have been traced in relation to environmental conditions. The transition from aquatic to aerial respiration require several structural modifications of the respiratory organs and their vascular supply. In bimodal breathing fish with their varied designs of respiratory structures, the vascular system both at macro and micro levels have been modified with their characteristic shunt systems. Evidence of plasma skimming at microcirculation level led to higher haematocrit value at gas exchange surface. There is considerable angiotensin converting enzyme activity in the respiratory organs of air breathing fishes. The evolutionary transition from aquatic to air-breathing not only encompassed a variety of anatomical and physiological adjustments in gas exchange and Osmoregulatory system, but that a variety of non-respiratory bio-chemical functions of lung which were originally developed in the fish gill, were shifted subsequently to the air-breathing organs. While the surfactant lining of the lungs in phospholipids in nature, it is mucoid in the case of accessory respiratory organs.
The book will interest zoology students and research workers in the field of anatomy, physiology and ecology of fishes. The book will also be useful for scientists and fishery biologists."
