Distribution of alarm cells on different regions of skin in Scatophagus argus

Structure and cell architecture of skin varies among different fishes. One of theepidermal cells is club cell that produces special pheromone and called alarm cells.This study was carried out on five normal and same size fish to study structure anddistribution of alarm cells. After biometry, samples were taken from different regionof skin including; head, dorsal, lateral and ventral portion and fixed in Bouin sfixative. Then, the sections were made on by standard and routine paraffin embeddingand stained by H&E and PAS. Histometrical studies performed by eye piece graticuleand calibrated slide. Histological results showed that large and voluminous secretorycells were existed in middle to deeper layers of non keratinized stratified squamousepithelium whit large and euchromatic nuclei and PAS negative reacted cytoplasm.Histometrical results indicated that distribution of these cells was varied in differentregions of skin significantly. Maximum and minimum distribution was observed inhead and ventral region, respectively (P<0.05). Results revealed that size and shapeof these cells were varied in different regions of skin. This study indicated thatmorphology and distribution of alarm cells was unique and had species-specificvariation.

Keywords:

Histology , Histometry , Alarm cells , Scatophagus argu