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How do sharks breathe through their gills?
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chondrichthyan
Southern stingrays (Dasyatis americana or Hypanus americanus) are found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Sharks breathe through their gills using two primary methods, depending on the species:
- Buccal Pumping: Many sharks, such as the nurse shark, use their cheek muscles to actively draw water into their mouths and push it over their gills. This process involves expanding the mouth-throat cavity while closing the gill slits to intake water, then contracting the cavity to force the water across the gill filaments, where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged.12
- Obligate Ram Ventilation: Some species, including the great white shark and mako shark, lack the necessary buccal muscles. These sharks must swim continuously with their mouths open to force water over their gills. If they stop moving, they cannot receive oxygen.2
Some species use a combination of both methods. Additionally, when a shark's mouth is covered or it is resting on the ocean floor, it may use spiracles—respiratory openings located behind the eyes—to pull water into the gill chamber.12