Gholamreza Hamidian - Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz
Fariba Yahyavi - Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz
Amin Ranjbar - Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz
Hanieh Akbari - Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz
Rozita Azarnia - Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz

Due to the great diversity of fish, recognition of the histological structure of thedifferent organs is necessary to better understanding their biology. This study wascarried out with selecting five normal and same size specimens of Scatophagus argusto study the structure and distribution of mucous secreting cells. After biometry,samples were removed from different region of the skin including head, dorsal, lateraland ventral portion and fixed into Bouin s fixative. Then, the sections were preparedusing standard and routine paraffin method and stained by H&E and PAS.Histometrical studies performed using an eye piece graticule and calibrated slide. Theresults showed that large goblet shaped cells were existed in middle to outer layersof epidermis in several rows. Their cytoplasm has PAS negative reaction. Theytended to be more spherical in the middle layer and larger and more elongated insurface layer of epidermis. The histometrical results indicated that most distributionof these cells was observed in head that had significant differences with other regions(P<0.05), while there were no significant differences among other regions. Based onresults of this study, it can be concluded that morphology and distribution of mucoussecreting cells were unique and had species-specific variation.

Histology, Histometry, Mucous secreting cells, Scatophagus argus