Fish swim in the water and are an important part of the aquatic ecosystem. However, sometimes we find that some fish die suddenly, while their carcasses strangely sink to the bottom. What is the reason for this phenomenon?
First of all, we need to understand the physiology of fish. Fish contain air sacs, which are organs that regulate buoyancy. Normally, the air sac helps the fish to balance in the water by inhaling or releasing gas. When the fish dies, the air sac loses its regulatory function and the gas in the body is gradually released, causing the fish to lose its buoyancy.
Secondly, after the fish dies, the body tissues begin to break down, which produces some gases and liquids. The release of these gases and liquids causes the specific gravity of the fish to increase, making it heavier. In the water, the carcass of the fish sinks to the bottom due to the heavy force of gravity.
In addition, the water temperature will also have an effect on the float and sink of the fish. At lower water temperatures, the metabolism of fish slows down and the decomposition process is slower, so the carcass may sink to the bottom relatively slowly. At higher water temperatures, the decomposition process is faster, the gas is released more quickly, and the body may sink to the bottom more quickly.
In general, the reason why fish sink to the bottom after death is mainly due to the loss of the buoyancy regulation function of the air sac, the release of gases and liquids in the body leads to an increase in specific gravity, coupled with the influence of factors such as water temperature.
This is a natural phenomenon in the life cycle of fish. When we find this situation in the waters, we may be able to learn more about the aquatic ecosystem through the observation of water quality, environment, etc., so as to better protect the ecological balance of the waters.