Operculum

Bone membrane covering hearing.

In the field of aquarophilia, the seamless is an anatomical structure present in certain fish and which is located at the back of the head, just above the caudal fin (fins located at the rear end of the body of fish). The seamless one is made up of two parts, the external seamless and the internal sea, which are connected by muscles and ligaments.

The external seamless is a bone plate which covers the internal and is mobile inside. The internal covership is a membranous structure which is under the external operculum and which serves as a cover for the sip orifice (also called GULAR opening). The sip is a cavity located at the back of the fish's head which is used to store food and regurgitate it if necessary.

Opecule has several important functions in fish. First of all, it is used to protect the orifice from the sip and prevent foreign bodies from entering the Gular cavity. Then, it allows the fish to better control its breathing by closing or opening the orifice of the sip according to its oxygen needs. Finally, the seamlessness plays a role in the locomotion of the fish by allowing it to control the direction of its displacement by modifying the shape of its sip.

There are many species of fish that have an operculum, such as catfish, fish-spotted fish, cichlids, clowns, etc. However, there are also fish that do not have an operculum, such as bone fish, rays and sharks.

As aquariophile, it is important to know the existence of the operculum in fish and to know how it works, because it can help you better understand the behavior and needs of your fish. For example, if you notice that your fish has difficulty breathing and finds it difficult to open its seamless, it could be a sign of health problems, such as respiratory infection or intoxication by chemicals. In this case, it is important to take immediate measures to treat your fish and prevent it from dying.