Among the most primary of the basic needs of fish is oxygen. Like land animals, fish require oxygen to live. However, fish must derive oxygen from water and special respiratory organs, called gills, enable them to do so. The gills of a fish are analogous to our lungs: They supply oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the blood of the fish. Then, oxygen is transported by the blood to the tissues where it is used to produce energy.
Most fish have four gills on each side of the head, protected by a single gill flap, or operculum. When a fish breathes, water is taken into the mouth and passed over the gills and out the operculum. As water passes over the membranes and filaments of the gills, oxygen is removed and carbon dioxide is excreted. To accomplish this, the gills have a very high number of blood vessels that deliver the oxygen to the rest of the fish via the blood.
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