Studies on the Head-Kidney of Teleosts. II. Distribution of Adrenocortical and Chromaffin Tissues in Some Marine Fishes PDF

Keywords

endocrine, fish, head-kidney

Abstract

The morphology and histology of the endocrine tissues in the head-kidneys of 14 Red Sea teleost fishes were examined. Melanophore-macrophage complexes were observed in the hematopoietic tissue. The distribution of the endocrine tissues varied from species to species. Both adrenocortical and chromaffin tissues existed as sheaths around the major veins or as diffuse masses of tissues permeated by minor sinusoidal branches of veins draining the head-kidney into the heart. The adrenocortical and chromaffin tissues laid either intermingled or in separate layers around the vessels. Little evidence was found of taxonomic-morphological correlation; each species has evolved independently in this context.