A study on the epidermal structure and mucosubstance histochemistry of spotty belly, devil stinger, stone fish, cubed Snailfish, and Japanese bluefish

Abstract

Structure and mucosubstance histochemistry in the epidermis of five teleostean species, i. e., spotty belly, Agrammus agrammus, devil stinger, Inimicus japonicus, stone fish, Erosa erosa, cubed snailfish, Liparis tessellatus, and Japanese bluefish, Scombrops boops were investigated. The epidermis of five species studied is composed of three layers: superficial, middle, and basal layer. The superficial layer is comprised of rather flattened cells. Mucous cells, the type commonly found in fishes are completely lacking in the epidermis of devil stinger, stone fish, and cubed snailfish. The epidermis of devil stinger and stone fish have multicellular glands which do not have mucosubstances. The skin surface of them is covered with mucous layer. The superficial cells in the epidermis of devil stinger, stone fish, and cubed snailfish are mucus‐secreting cells. The composition and the amount of the mucosubstances vary in species and body regions. The mucous layer on the skin surface and superficial epidermal cells of devil stinger contain a mixture of neutral and acidic (sulfated and non‐sulfated) mucosubstances. In stone fish, the mucous layer has acidic (sulfated and non‐sulfated) mucin and the superficial epidermal cells contain neutral mucin. In cubed snailfish, the type of epidermal mucosubstances is identified as a mixture of neutral and acidic (non‐sulfated) mucin. The mucous cells of the epidermis in spotty belly and Japanese bluefish contain neutral mucin.

Key words:

• epidermis
• fishes
• mucosubstance
• histochemistry

Notes

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