Here's what I'm talking about: http://www.flickr.com/photos/57855896@N0…
His gills turn bright red when he eats. I'm assuming it has something to do with processing oxygen.
His gills turn bright red when he eats. I'm assuming it has something to do with processing oxygen.
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Yes. The gills are vascularized, meaning there are blood vessels in them. The oxygen that is extracted by the gills is carried to the rest of the body by the red blood cells, so that muscles and other body parts that need oxygen will get oxygen. The red blood cells make the gills look red. The more red blood cells are present, the more red the gills look.