A STUDY OF THE HISTOLOGY AND MORPHOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT OF THE CHRYSOPHRYS MAJOR

The anatomy and histology of the digestive tract of the Red sea-breamn (Chrysophrys major) is described from studies using light and scanning electronic microscopy. Behind the oralpharyngeal cavity with well developed mandibular teeth, the digestive tract consists of clearly distingnishabl ocsophagus, stomach, intestine and rectum. The mucosa of oral-pharyngeal cavity is multi-layered, formed by epithelial Cells with microridges and mucus-secreting Cells, and taste buds are present in the mucosa. The ocsophagus shows a multi-layered mucosa, comprised of a layer of Squamous cell with microridges, a mucus - secreting cell layer between and other epithelial cells in the base, some regions are single-layered columnar epithelium- The V-shaped stomach has a single-layered columnar epithelium under which, in the cardiac and fundic portion, Well developed gastric glands are present. The intestine is short (relative length 0. 6), the intestine epithelium consists of columnar cells intercalated with mucus-secreing cells. The digestive tract is of typical features of carnivorous fish.