Skin Sensory Organs in the Atlantic Hagfish Myxine Glutinosa

Abstract

Slice series of total bodies of Myxine glutinosa were documented with the reflecting light method. With the help of semithin serial sections and electron micrographs the integument of the Atlantic hagfish is described with respect to the topography and the fine structural organization of the epidermal, dermal and hypodermal nerve fibre plexus. The nerve fibre plexus of the dermal and hypodermal layer contain small ganglion cells with axodendritic and axosomatic synapses. These ganglion cells seem to represent a part of the peripheral autonomic nervous system.