Eli5: why can’t fish just breathe air through their gills if they’re out of water?

Question

If fish are out of water, why can’t they just breathe air in and out through their gills. They use their gills to breathe under water……. And are there any animals with gills that live both on and off land? #justgillythings

In: 0

Answer 1

Probably has to do with moving warter over wet gills, gills that only work while wet. Then thought, what if I pull my lungs inside out and stuck them in water. Weird!