Clownfish Clownfish swim by an anemone in the Great Barrier Reef in Pacific Ocean, off the northeastern coast of Australia. (more) Do Fish Drink Water? Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Do-Fish-Drink-Water Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Mar 18, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Many marine fish, i.e., those that live in seawater, drink large quantities of water, while freshwater fish typically drink very little water. This difference is due to the process of osmoregulation—in this case, how a fish maintains its internal balance of water and salts. Seawater has a higher concentration of salts than what most types of marine fish need in their bodies. This environment causes them to lose water from their bodies through osmosis. To counteract this, many types of marine fish drink large quantities of seawater. Their kidneys excrete the excess salts while retaining as much water as possible. ...(100 of 295 words)

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