Global Journal of Biology, Agriculture & Health Sciences

Abstract

HISTOLOGICAL AND HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY ON THE STOMACH ANDINTESTINE OF CATFISH HETEROPNEUSTES FOSSILIS (BLOCH 1794)

Manisha. R. Deshmukh, Sudhir. G. Chirde, & Y. A. Gadhikar

The present work describes the histological and histochemical studies of stomach and intestine of Heteropneustes fossilis. The stomach and intestinal morphology is influenced by its feeding habits. The histological studies of stomach and intestine of H. fossilis revealed the basic pattern of wall layers as that other teleost fishes and vertebrates. However, few variations were observed in the thickness of muscle layers in the pyloric regions as compared to cardio-fundic region, which may be due to the variation in feeding habits. The stomach of H. fossilis consists of two parts cardio-fundic and pyloric. Mucosa layer of cardio-fundic region formed by numerous tapered fold covered by the columnar epithelium. The gastric glands are more in cardio-fundic region while rare in the pyloric region. Histochemically all the mucous secreting cells of the stomach are positive to the PAS stain and negative to the AB stain. Intestine of H. fossilis is long, coiled and divided into three parts; proximal, middle and distal intestine. Mucosa of proximal intestine had numerous elongated and deep finger like folds called villi, lined with columnar epithelial consisting of absorptive cells and mucous secreting goblet cells. The distal intestinal region of H. fossilis contains numerous goblet cells as compared to the proximal and middle intestine region. The histochemically all the intestinal goblet cells are positive to PAS. Only proximal intestinal goblet cells are positive to AB stain but negative in middle and distal intestinal region.

Published Date: 2014-11-10;