Data from: A computational model of flow between the microscale respiratory structures of fish gills

The gills of most teleost fishes are covered by plate-like structures, the
secondary lamellae, that provide the bulk of the respiratory surface area.
Water passing over the secondary lamellae exchanges gases with blood
passing through the secondary lamellae, forming a system that has served
as a classic model of counter-current exchange. In this study, a
computational model of flow around the secondary lamellae is used to
examine the hydrodynamic consequences of changes to the lamellar
morphology. Consistent with previous studies, the interlamellar distance
is found to strongly affect the hydrodynamic resistance of the gills.
However, the presence of a small gap between the tips of the secondary
lamellae is found to have a similar strong effect on the hydrodynamic
resistance and flow patterns within the gills. The results from this model
have been generally formulated, allowing the calculation of the
hydrodynamic resistance for measured morphometric parameters. These
results provide a new basis for comparing theoretical predictions of the
gill resistance with measured values, and provide a general model for
examining the diversity gill morphologies observed in teleost fishes.