Why do fish yawn?

[siebertn]

Why do fish yawn?

Last night I was lying on the couch watching my tank and I noticed that almost all my fish “yawned” one after the other.
This was about an hour after I fed them so I started to wonder whether feeding them has anything to do with it.

Does any one know the answer?

 

[kdrun76]

Guess: stretches all the muscles in the face and feels good?

 

[fishy12]

they wanted more food n yelled at u

 

[Rayshot1]

Do u have any water causing oxygen to flow like a waterfall effect..they may be gasping..make sure u have enough water movement.

 

[siebertn]

i have allot of movement in the tank i think i might have to much actually

 

[Rayshot1]

Just a thought..one of my smaller tanks filter kicked the bucket..so i had to transfer 1 from my 50 gallon(which i had 2 filters running on) and my fish starting gasping while i was at work..good thing wife was home! Ihad her lower the water height to create a waterfall from my 405 to create some Aeration...

 

[Pharaoh]

Guess: stretches all the muscles in the face and feels good?

I'd go with this if I had to guess as well.

 

[siebertn]

Just a thought..one of my smaller tanks filter kicked the bucket..so i had to transfer 1 from my 50 gallon(which i had 2 filters running on) and my fish starting gasping while i was at work..good thing wife was home! Ihad her lower the water height to create a waterfall from my 405 to create some Aeration...

The inlet from my sump is about .5" above the water line so there is a big stream of water (about 600 gal p/h) that shoots into the tank and then on the other side of the tank there is a FX5 that pumps allot of water and makes allot of movement.

 

[Red Devil]

[SIZE=+4]Ask Patty: Why Do Fish Yawn?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+4][SIZE=+3](March '96)[/SIZE][/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]by Patty Moncrief[/SIZE]​

To understand why fish yawn you first must know how fish breath. We all know that fish have gills but do you really know how they work? Water only holds 5% of the oxygen that air does and is 800 times denser than air so fish must have a very efficient means of getting oxygen and using energy. Most fish have a buccal cavity which they use to pump water across their gills. As the water flows over the many blood-filled gill filaments, CO2 is released and O2 is absorbed all by simple diffusion through the gill walls.
The gill filaments actually strain the water so they will acquire small particulate matter in them too. When a fish "yawns" it is forcing water to backwash across the gills cleaning the trash off that is blocking the filaments. So now you know. When you see them yawning they are just doing a little housekeeping. The more you understand you fish and its environment the better chances you have of keeping them for a long happy fish life.
[SIZE=-2]updated 18 May 2004, 2030, BL[/SIZE]

 

[siebertn]

Thanx