Question

If a marine fish is placed in a freshwater aquarium, will it be able to survive? Give reason.

Answer 1

i. If a marine fish is placed in a freshwater aquarium, fish would not be able to survive because marine fish are adapted to high salt concentrations in the marine environment.

ii. Marine fish have their own osmoregulation, which is different from the osmoregulation seen in freshwater fish. In marine water, the ambient salinity is more than the concentration of ions in the body, but in freshwater, the reverse is the case. Therefore, marine fish have different machinery to cope with high-saline environments.

iii. When marine fish are placed in a freshwater aquarium, water enters their bodies through osmosis, as freshwater creates a hypotonic environment outside their bodies.

iv. Water entering the body causes it to swell, leading to the death of the marine fish.