The spelling of the phrase "water breather" is fairly straightforward. The first syllable of "water" is pronounced with the "aw" vowel sound /ɔː/, and the second syllable is pronounced with the "er" vowel sound /ə/. The pronunciation of "breather" is also straightforward, with the first syllable pronounced with the "ee" vowel sound /i/, and the second syllable pronounced with the "uh" vowel sound /ə/. So the correct pronunciation of "water breather" is /ˈwɔː.tər ˈbriː.ðər/.
The term "water breather" refers to an organism that has evolved or adapted to extract oxygen from water in order to breathe. It is primarily used to describe aquatic organisms, such as fish, crustaceans, or amphibians, which possess specialized respiratory organs or structures to facilitate respiration in an aquatic environment. These animals rely on gills, small specialized organs located on the sides of their bodies or inside their mouths, to extract oxygen dissolved in the water.
Water breathers have developed various adaptations to enhance their respiratory efficiency. Gills typically consist of thin, filament-like structures containing blood vessels that exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen through diffusion. While fish utilize outwardly opening gill covers to intake water for respiration, crustaceans employ specialized appendages called gill bailers or gill legs to create a current of water across their gills. Amphibians, on the other hand, have permeable skin that allows gas exchange to occur directly through their skin, but they still rely on their lungs or gills for respiration during different stages of their life cycle.
The ability to extract oxygen from water is fundamental for the survival of water breathers, enabling them to thrive in their aquatic habitats. By using their specialized respiratory structures, these organisms are capable of extracting dissolved oxygen from water, ensuring their respiratory requirements are adequately met in order to carry out essential life functions.