Histological study of maxillary barbels in Silurus triostegus and Heteropneustes fossilis (SILURIFORMES) fishes collected from Basra City waters

Abstract

In this study the maxillary barbels were investigated in Silurus triostegus (Heckel, 1843) and Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794) which collected from Basra (Shatt Al Arab) waters. After histological preparations, the histological results revealed that in the two species, the barbels showed epithelium, dermis, muscle layers, tastes buds, blood vessels, nerve fibers and cartilage. The thickness of epithelium differs between the two species also the shape of taste buds. The cartilage occupies the core of the barbel and consider to be primitive cartilage with chondrocytes and matrix. Two types of muscles were distinguished in the studied species smooth and skeletal muscles.