A saltwater fish tends to be ________ to its surrounding aquatic environment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A saltwater fish lives in a hypertonic environment, meaning that the surrounding water has a higher salt concentration than the fish's body fluid. To prevent dehydration and loss of water, a saltwater fish tends to be hypoosmotic, i.e. its body fluid has a lower salt concentration than the surrounding water, allowing the fish to absorb water and excrete excess salt through its gills. Endothermy refers to the ability to generate and maintain one's own body heat, which is not relevant to this question, and isoosmotic and hyperosmotic are not characteristics of a saltwater fish in relation to its environment.

A Saltwater Fish Tends to Be ________ to Its Surrounding