Fish Can Cough

Now that you know if fish can sneeze, let me answer whether fish can cough. Yes, a fish can cough. Fish take in water through gills to extract oxygen from the ocean to breathe. They cough when a different kind of gas or particle gets stuck between their gills.

Animals living on land cough for many reasons, like when they’re unwell. Cats and dogs also cough to shake off a hairball that may have formed in their stomach. They also cough when they inhale anything, like smoke.

Cats and dogs are not the only animals that cough. Humans cough too, for many reasons – like when they are unwell or have a cold, or if they have consumed something that went down the wrong way.

Why does a fish cough in the first place? Fish use their gills to extract oxygen from water. During respiration, it’s likely for bacteria or particles to suck in through the gills.

For a moment, stop thinking of fish as a different species and think of them as humans. Just like we inhale some particles or bacteria sometimes while breathing, they do too. To clear this debris, our bodies cough, or it gets prompted to cough. This is also exactly why fishes cough.

A fish jerks its body whenever an object gets stuck in its gill to make it fall. Individuals who own aquariums or visit them a lot might notice fish coughing.