Oxygen uptake by the skin of the Canterbury mudfish, Neochanna burrowsius

Canterbury mudfish ( Neochanna burrowsius ) were held in small respirometer chambers with a rubber dam separating head and body. Oxygen uptake by the head and by the body were determined in water and in air. In both media cutaneous O 2 uptake is a significant component (>43%) of total O 2 consumption (VO 2 ). In air, more carbon dioxide was lost to the body compartment than to the head compartment. With the head in air and the body in hypoxic water (PO 2 <20 mm Hg) there was no loss of O 2 to the water over 2 h, and VO 2 was maintained by an increase in O 2 uptake by the head.