The Changes of Mucous Cells İn The Skin of Van Fish During Freshwater Adaptation

Abstract

Van fish, an anadromous fish, migrate in flocks to fresh water poured into the lake from the extreme conditions of Van Lake for breeding. The fish that complete their breeding return to the lake for feeding. In these two different aquatic environments, skin is exposed to different physicochemical effects of water. In the present study, morphometric and histological changes in mucous cells of the skin during reproductive migration were studied. The thickness of the epidermis was found to be thicker in the freshwater than in the lake environment. It has been determined that both the diameter and the chemical content of the mucus cell vary in different aquatic environments (freshwater and lakes). For this reason, it is thought that mucus cells are present in different types in the skin of Van fish. Also, these changes are different in several parts of the body (dorsal and lateral). These histological and histochemical changes in Van Fish are thought to be necessary for the adaptation of fish to aquatic environments. © 2020, ABADER (Adıyaman Bilimsel Arastırmalar Dernegi). All rights reserved.