E. IKPEGBU , Nlebedum U.C. , Ibe C.S.

Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Aquaculture, 2018, Vol. 8, No. 24   
Received: 03 Jul., 2018    Accepted: 25 Jul., 2018    Published: 12 Oct., 2018

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The micromorphology of the oropharyngeal cavity of the tilapia fish Orechromis niloticus, from Nigerian waters were investigated to fill the dearth of information from available literature and help understand its food prehension and pregastric apparatus biology. The lips epidermis was lined stratified squamous epithelium containing mucous cells. The lip dermal region contained dense regular collagen, melanophores and few melanocytes. Pectinate ligament was also seen in the lips. The wall of the cavity was modified into longitudinal folds lined by stratified squamous epithelium containing mucous cells. The submucosal region of the cavity wall contained loose irregular fibres, adipose tissue, blood vessels and nerve fibres. The lingual epithelium of stratified squamous cells with no taste buds makes the organ a mechanical structure involved in rolling the food back. The Pharyngeal pad was lined by stratified squamous epithelium containing mucous cells and taste buds. Pharyngeal pad teeth erupted above the epithelium. This co-localization of taste bud and teeth makes the pad the primary organ for food selection or rejection through gustation.

Taste buds; Mucous cells; Histology; Food selectio; Melanophores