Gill morphology of Bagrus bayad (Forskal, 1775) using scanning electron microscopy

Abstract

The work under investigation is carried out to describe the gross morphology and ultrastructure of the gills of the species Bagrus bayad grossly and with the help of scanning electron microscopy. The current work carried on ten fresh adult Bagrus bayad. Bagrus bayad is a genus of the Bagridae family. Our results revealed that the operculum opened caudoventrally. The wide interbranchial septum consisted of four transverse raised areas on each side that connected by transverse lines caudal to the base of the tongue. The gill arch is divided into long ceratobranchial and the short epibranchial clearly and formed an angle between them in the first three gill arches but in the fourth-gill arch is not clear.The first two gill arches have only lateral rackers. The first arch carried well-developed long rackers while rackers on the following rows were short. The majority of gill rackers were short as an adaptation of the carnivorous feeding habit of the Bagrus bayad. The gill arch and rackers were covered by pavement cells with chloride and mucus cells. The pavement cell surface has numerous microridges giving them the fingerprint's appearance. The gill filament's length is nearly fixed along the entire gill arch. Along the gill arch, and the gill filament carried leaf-like gill lamellae. At higher magnification, the gill filament appeared covered by irregular polygonal cells that have concentric microridges.

Morphological investigation of the gills of the dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe 1834) using gross anatomy and scanning electron microscopy

“…The current study observed that the dusky grouper had four gills on each side, similar to most teleost fishes arranged into first, second, third, and fourth gills from lateral to medial (Alsafy, 2013; Bassuoni, 2021; Hanafy, 2020).…”

“…There is a notable adaptation of fishes to their environment and feeding habits that reflected on the morphological characteristics of the gills of the fishes (Alsafy, 2013; Mattson, 1990; Opuszynski & Shireman, 2019). The structural components of the gill arches, gill filaments, and gill rakers had many differences (Alsafy, 2013; Bassuoni, 2021; Elgendy et al, 2016).…”

“…The gills play a significant role in the adaptation of the fish to their environment. Gills' function is mainly the gas exchange and wastes elimination, and the gill epithelium also plays an osmoregulatory role (Alsafy, 2013; Bassuoni, 2021; Díaz et al, 2009; Evans et al, 2005; Monteiro et al, 2011; Moyle & Cech, 2004).…”

“…The gill morphology attracted the researchers, where several studies are describing the gill morphology of many species of fish were done (Abumandour & El‐Bakary, 2017; Alsafy, 2013; Bassuoni, 2021; Díaz et al, 2009; Hanafy, 2020; Hughes & Morgan, 1973; Karlsson, 1983). The organization of gill filaments rakers have a significant relation to the feeding habits of the fish (Fernandes, 1996).…”

“…The epithelial cells covering the gill arches, gill rakers, and gill filaments have shown variable characteristic surface features in the previously studied fish species. Like, the presence of the microridges that form specific patterns, and also the presence of the mosaic of pavement cells, varied sized pores of the mucous and chloride cells and many different pointed spines, and types of taste buds (Alsafy, 2013; Bassuoni, 2021; Eiras‐Stofella et al, 2001; Elsheikh, 2013; Hanafy, 2020; Kumari et al, 2012).…”