Mucosubstance histochemistry of the epidermis in Yellowtail, Striped Beakperch, Brown Spotted Grouper, Sea Chub, and Multicolorfin Rainbowfish

Abstract

Abstract To investigate the properties of mucosubstances of the epidermis in various teleostean species, conventional histochemical stainings were used on the skin in five species of order Perciformes, i. e., yellowtail, Seriola quinqueradiat, striped beakperch, Oplegnathus fasciatus, brown spotted grouper, Epinephelus chlorostigma, sea chub, Ditrema temmincki and multicolorfin rainbowfish, Halichoeres poecilopterus. The following methods were used: periodic acid Schiff (PAS), alcian blue (AB) pH at 2.5, AB pH at 1.0, AB pH at 2.5‐PAS, AB pH at 1.0‐PAS, aldehyde fuchsin (AF) pH at 1.7‐AB pH at 2.5 and high iron diamine (HID)‐AB pH at 2.5. The epidermis of all five species consisted of three layers: superficial, middle, and basal layer. The superficial layer was comprised of rather flattened cells. In particular, the outermost layer of striped beakperch and middle layer of sea chub consisted of mucus‐secreting cells. Mucous cells, the unicellular glands, were found in epidermis but varied in number in different body regions and species. Although there was a slight difference in the amount in various species and body regions, the secretory contents of the mucous cells in the five teleostean species contained acidic mucopolysaccharides. In yellowtail, striped beakperch, and multicolorfin rainbowfish, the property of mucosubstances was identified as sialomucin, while it was sulphomucin in brown spotted grouper and sea chub.