Do fish drink water?

dave_fl

Fresh water fishes drink a little water and take in limited amounts with their food. Saltwater fishes (marine fishes) drink large quantities of seawater to maintain their water balance, retaining most of the water and excreting the salt. Both types of fish take in water through their mouths, exchanging the dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide in the water by means of the gills. In this case fish are not drinking, they're breathing. From: Ecncyclopedia Britannica v. 19, pp. 196-7 Apr 28 00, 11:06 PM

Odonnell

Fish do drink water although their primary method of obtaining fresh water is through osmosis. The water seeps into their bodies through tiny holes in their skin. Apr 29 00, 10:33 PM

zbeckabee

The answer to your question differs, depending on whether we are talking about saltwater fish or freshwater fish! Freshwater fish do not actively drink water, but absorb the water through their skin and gills. On the other hand, saltwater fish do actively drink sea water. Their gills process the water and take out the salt. http://rochester.kidsoutandabout.com/main-columns/nature/fishdrinkwater.html Feb 03 08, 3:38 AM