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You are here: Home / Science / How Do Fish Fart and Why Do Goldfish and Guppies Fart Without Producing any Bubbles In the Water?

How Do Fish Fart and Why Do Goldfish and Guppies Fart Without Producing any Bubbles In the Water?

February 20, 2020 by Karen Hill

Most of us assume fish don’t fart because we don’t see a string of bubbles coming out from a fish’s bum.

However, fish, yes, even your pet Goldfish or Guppy, do develop gas in the gut, and this is expelled through the vent, just like any other animal.

The difference is in the packaging of the fart.

Fish package their excreta into a thin gelatinous tube before disposal. This includes any gas that has formed or been carried through digestion.

The net result is a faecal tube that either sinks or floats, but as many fish practise coprophagia, these tubes tend not to hang around for too long.

We have on several occasions witnessed cichlids passing wind to the displeasure of my eel.

This seems to be a result of them taking in too much air while wolfing down flaked foods floating on the surface of the water. If the air was not expelled it would seriously affect their balance.

Most sharks rely on the high-density lipid squalene to provide them with buoyancy, but the sand tiger shark, Eugomphodus taurus, has mastered the technique of farting as an extra buoyancy device.

The shark swims to the surface and gulps air, swallowing it into its stomach.

It can then fart out the required amount of air to maintain its position at a certain depth.

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  • How is a Shark’s Skeleton Different from Other Fish and What is its Skeleton Made of?
  • Who wrote “Beans, beans, they’re good for your heart. The more you eat, the more you fart.” And how do beans make you Fart?
  • Can Fish Get the Bends From Staying Underwater For Too Long?
  • How did the Nurse Shark get its Name, Where does it Live, and How Big do they Get?
  • How Long Do Goldfish Live For, How Big Do Goldfish Grow In a Pond, and Do They Change Color?

Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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