How do freshwater fish keep the right amount of salt in their bodies?
Quick Answer
Freshwater fish absorb salts through their gills and kidneys while producing lots of dilute urine. This helps them avoid losing too much salt to the surrounding water.
The Full Story
Freshwater fish live in water that is less salty than their bodies, so water tends to enter their tissues while salts tend to leave. To keep the balance, many freshwater fish do not drink much and instead produce large amounts of dilute urine. Their gills actively absorb ions such as sodium and chloride from the water. Specialized kidney function and gill cells help maintain homeostasis. Without these mechanisms, the fish would swell or lose essential minerals.
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