Morphology and histochemistry of the skin of the mud loach, Misgurnus mizolepis, in relation to cutaeneous respiration

Abstract

The skin structure of Misgurnus mizolepis was studied based on the microanatomical investigation of skin fragments taken from four regions . The epidermis was distinguished by two types of skin glands , a small mucous cell and a large club cell. The mucous cell was acid sulfomucins (some s ialomucins), but the club cell did not give any histochemical tests for mucosubstances. The presence of a well defined lymphatic system with small lympho cytes was established in the stratum germinativum layer of the epidermis. A large number of blood capillaries run very close to each other just below the basement membrane , and a definite are a giving AB and PAS positive was present between the basement membrane and scale. These structural features of skin in M. mizolep is seem to be closely related with cutaneous respiration.