What Is a Gill Filament

Gill filaments are the red, fleshy part of the gills; they take oxygen into the blood. Each filament has thousands of fine branches (lamellae) that are exposed to the water.

What is the gill filament?

Gill filaments are the red, fleshy part of the gills; they take oxygen into the blood. Each filament has thousands of fine branches (lamellae) that are exposed to the water.

How is gill filament adapted to its function?

The gill filaments and the gill bar are elongated to offer a large surface area for maximum gaseous exchange. There are numerous gill filaments to increase the surface area on which gaseous exchange takes place. The gill filaments are moistened for easy dissolving of respiratory gases and diffusion.