swim bladder

American  

noun

1. air bladder.

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swim bladder British  

noun

1. ichthyol another name for air bladder

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Etymology

Origin of swim bladder

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Otophysan fish improved this pathway by adding small bony "ossicles" that connect the air bladder, often mistakenly called the swim bladder, to the inner ear.

From Science Daily • Nov. 3, 2025

The vaquitas are caught and drown in illegal gill nets set for Totoaba, a Gulf fish whose swim bladder is considered a prized delicacy in China, worth thousands of dollars per pound.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 30, 2023

One large and endangered fish in the region, the totoaba, has made the situation particularly volatile because its swim bladder commands high prices in Asia, attracting illegal trafficking and organized crime.

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2023

It is unlikely the swim bladder of fish would be on the list, but isinglass - a gelatine made using the organ - is in fact very likely to be in your average pint.

From BBC • Sep. 14, 2016

On the line of the ancestry of most modern fishes its duct was closed and it became the swim bladder used in flotation and balancing.

From The Elements of Geology by Norton, William Harmon