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Fermentative microbial digestion in herbivorous fishes
Author(s) -
Rimmer D. W.,
Wiebe W. J.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1987.tb05228.x
Subject(s) - biology , digestion (alchemy) , herbivore , zoology , digestive tract , ecology , medicine , chemistry , chromatography
Two herbivorous fishes of the genus Kyphosus (family Kyphosidae) possess unique digestive tracts among fishes, with well‐developed caecal pouches and a complex gut‐resident microflora. The presence of high concentrations of volatile fatty acids in the gut confirms fermentative digestion in fishes for the first time.