The development of gill arches and gill blood vessels of the rainbow trout,Salmo gairdneri

Gill development begins on the sixth day of incubation at 10^°C and is complete by 31 days (hatching). Gill arches are formed by fusion and perforation of ectoderm and endoderm across the pharyngeal wall. A primary branchial artery forms within each arch and a second branchial artery forms as a branch from its ventral end. A series of filament loop vessels forms connecting the two arteries and when several are patent a unidirectional blood flow is established via afferent (second) branchial artery, filament loop vessels to efferent (primary) branchial artery. Part of the efferent branchial artery just above its junction with the afferent branchial artery constricts and occludes. It is suggested that this change in the pattern of blood flow is dependent on differences in resistance of the two branchial arteries. A later extension of the gill ventrally is thought not to be homologous with similar regions in elasmobranchs and Acipenser.