Types and distribution of mucous cells of the abalone <i>Haliotis diversicolor</I>

Abstract

The types and distribution of mucous cells of Haliotis diversicolorwere observed and analyzed using the alcian blue and periodic acid schiffs (AB-PAS) reaction and histological procedures. According to the color of the mucous cells, they were divided into four types: Type I, pure red; type II, pure blue; type III, purple reddish; type IV, blue purple. Most of the mucous cells in the mantle were type II, with cup- or stick-like shape. Gill axis and gill filament epithelia were rich in mucous cells and most of them were type II and III, with circle-, cup- and stick-like shapes. There were a few mucous cells in the pedal epithelia, mainly type II, whereas, the pedal gland had a great density of mucous cells, which were large or small and mainly type II and IV. There were many mucous cells in the epithelia around the mouth, most of which were medium-sized cup-shaped type II. In the esophagus, the number of mucous cells decreased gradually from the anterior to posterior, whereas in the distal intestine mucous cells, there were more than in the proximal one and they were more cup–shaped and circle–shaped, mainly type II.

Keywords: Haliotis diversicolor; mucous cells, types, distribution