Anatomical characterization of the digestive system of the pufferfish (&lt;i&gt;Chilomycterus spinosus spinosus&lt;/i&gt;)

Thiago Scremin Boscolo Pereira,Vanessa Belentani Marques,André Del Arco,Patrícia Hoffmann

doi:10.4025/actascibiolsci.v41i1.44645

Anatomical characterization of the digestive system of the pufferfish (<i>Chilomycterus spinosus spinosus</i>)

Thiago Scremin Boscolo Pereira, Vanessa Belentani Marques + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.4025/actascibiolsci.v41i1.44645

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Abstract

Descriptive studies of the fish digestive system are fundamental because they provide information on the biology of the species. Thus, the objective of this study was to morphologically describe the digestive system of the pufferfish, Chilomycterus spinosus spinosus . For this, adult specimens of pufferfish (n = 10) of both sexes were used. The animals were fixed with 10% aqueous formaldehyde solution, dissected, analyzed descriptively and photographed. The results demonstrate that the pufferfish has a morphologically modified digestive system, which is adapted to the defense behavior. This species presents a pouch-shaped diverticulum, that is called abdominal pouch, which allows the expansion of the celomatic cavity and the temporary storage of food. Although it is used to store food, macroscopically the abdominal pouch does not show gastric folds. However, this absence is compensated by a small intestine containing innumerable villi.

Highlights

Descriptive anatomical studies of marine animals are fundamental, since they provide information about the biology of the species and can be used as conservation strategies, such as to suggest the establishment of new protection areas, disease control and water quality
We submitted this work for the approval of the Ethical Committee on the Use of Animals (Ceua) of the Centro Universitário de Rio Preto (UNIRP), under protocol number 01/18
The oral vestibule of this species shows fleshy lips and it is composed by several papillae. The maxilla of this species presents itself in the form of a Digestive system of the pufferfish beak, containing teeth shaped as plaques that are the result of the fusion of several dentigerous units (Figure 2A)

Summary

Introduction

Descriptive anatomical studies of marine animals are fundamental, since they provide information about the biology of the species and can be used as conservation strategies, such as to suggest the establishment of new protection areas, disease control and water quality. The Pufferfish possess a highly modified and specialized digestive system that allows its body to inflate by ingesting water or air (Wainwright & Turingan, 1997; Fagundes, Rotundo, & Mari, 2016) This morphological adaptation takes part in a defense mechanism used by the species against predators (Brainerd, 1994; Wainwright & Turingan, 1997). The animal swallows large amounts of water, directing it to a pouch located in the distal portion of the anterior intestine (Fagundes et al, 2016; McGee & Clark, 2018) This adaptation allows the expansion of the coelomic cavity, transforming the animal into a sphere with small spines on the body surface (Mittal & Banerjee, 1976). There are reports of this anatomical adaptation of the digestive system in the pufferfish (Brainerd, 1994; Fagundes et al, 2016), detailed studies that describe the morphology of the gastrointestinal tract of this species are scarce in the literature

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