Off the beaten path in Cozumel

[LoveOceanicGears]

While there have been mammals that returned to the sea, none of them evolved so as to lose their lungs and re-evolve gills. Since lungs are essential for land vertebrates (or at least vertebrates of any size - very small animals, like worms, nematodes, etc, can still obsorb enough oxygen through their skin to support metabolism; larger land animals require lungs and a circulatory system), unless batfish have lungs, I'm skeptical of a claim that it evolved from a land animal.

I was hoping I can evolve with gills, so I don't have to worry about dive table and scuba gears, or paying scuba shops and airfare. Now my dream is shattered....

Last year at Cozumel, my friends saw one during an afternoon dive. Too bad I wasn't with them. I hope I can see one this year.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

I am really curious now, that is about the possibility of a reverse evolution from lungs to gills. Don't salamanders have both Gills and lungs, and are they not related to frogs (which a batfish resembles)? What if a salamander like frog felt at home in the ocean (when it was much less salty) then decided it did not need lungs? Seems plausible to me. Any real authorities out there?

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[DandyDon]

I am really curious now, that is about the possibility of a reverse evolution from lungs to gills. Don't salamanders have both Gills and lungs, and are they not related to frogs (which a batfish resembles)? What if a salamander like frog felt at home in the ocean (when it was much less salty) then decided it did not need lungs? Seems plausible to me. Any real authorities out there?

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

Those are amphibians...

The young generally undergo metamorphosis from larva with gills to an adult air-breathing form with lungs. Amphibians use their skin as a secondary respiratory surface and some small terrestrial salamanders and frogs lack lungs and rely entirely on their skin.

There are other fish that use fins to walk on the ocean floor. Walking evolved before fish evolved into amphibians or they never would have left water.

 

[mikeycanuk]

What would be the hand signal for the batfish?

 

[Lefty17]

 

[cvchief]

Any real authorities out there?

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

So my theory did not garner your belief?

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Dear Dandy Don,

Lung Fish go on land all the time in Africa and they have no legs. My guess is that if they stayed there long enough they would grow legs, go bak in the water and grow new gills. Again, waiting for an authority.

Dave

 

[Sue Sue]

Thanks Rebelrph for posting your video. The last batfish I saw in Coz was around 12 years ago. Awesome !

 

[DandyDon]

Dear Dandy Don,

Lung Fish go on land all the time in Africa and they have no legs. My guess is that if they stayed there long enough they would grow legs, go bak in the water and grow new gills. Again, waiting for an authority.

Dave

I mentioned them above, but no they do not go onto land; they burrow into mud to estivate during dry periods. They are fascinating in their use of lungs to extracted oxygen from water without drowning if I tried, and they can breath air, but they don't leave water unless their body of water vanishes. Now only found on three continents, only the Australian still has any gills left.

Betta splendens and other gouramis of the Osphronemidae family start life with gills, then grow air breathing organs as they mature - losing the gills. There are others with other adaptations as I mention above.

Your batfish: "Ogcocephalidae is Eocene* in age and originated on the lower continental shelf/upper continental slope (disphotic zone)." Examining evolutionary relationships and shifts in depth preference... - PubMed - NCBI

* The name Eocene refers to the "dawn" of modern ('new') fauna that appeared during the epoch - from 56 to 33.9 million years ago.

 

[scubafree]

Saw a batfish on my last trip to Cozumel. It was in shallow water (less than 10 feet) right off the the coast by the northern resorts/private homes. Very cool!