1922.] 



S. L. Hora : Fish of Mountain Torrents. 



53 



ready been described in the integument of Garra ; but are aggre- 

 gated to form definite structures. Each one of these structures is 

 flask-shaped with the neck almost half as long as its total length. 

 The mouth of the flask along with the adjoining tissue projects 

 slightly above the surface of the integument. The body of the 

 flask is occupied by a number of characteristic cells. The cells are 

 elongated and are drawn out into long, fine processes which travel 

 through the neck of the flask and open on the surface of the skin. 

 The nuclei are very big and occupy almost the whole of the cell. 

 The cells forming this characteristic structure do not begin at the 

 same level and thus present an irregular bunch of cells hanging 

 in the cavity of the flask by means of fine threads. Sometimes 

 one or more epithelial cells make their way inside the flask and 

 when seen they are usually found in the neck region. 



It is after long hesitation that I have assigned to these cells 

 the function of secretion. The following are the main reasons for 

 holding this view :— 



(i) The unicellular glands, usually present in the integument 

 of fishes, are absent. 



(ii) The mouth of the flask projects beyond the surface of the 

 integument. 



(iii) The cells have fine 

 canals which open on the 

 surface of the skin. 



(iv) The cells are provi- 

 ded with big nuclei. 



Such glandular structures 

 are found at a considerable 

 distance from each other, 

 and I have not been able 

 to find more than three in 

 any one section. 



In the structure of the 

 adhesive apparatus (fig. 15) 

 formed by 1he striation of 

 the skin on the under sur- 

 face of the pectoral and 

 pelvic spines, a distinct ad- 

 vance is made upon that 

 observed in Bhavania and 

 Garra. The upper layer of 

 epithelial cells is modified 

 into curved spines (sp.), 

 whose inner limits are not 

 well defined. The spines 

 are provided with definite 

 nuclei, which are situated in 



their lower swollen portions. In the nou-cellular region imme- 

 diately below the spinous layer are a number of deeply staining 

 bodies forming a definite row. What these bodies are, I have 



n.c.r. 



;;:.7> e.c. 



c.t. 



Text- fig. 15. — Transverse section through 

 the striated skin on the under surface of the 

 outer ray of the pectoral fin in Glyptosternum 

 labiatum, x 435. 



s. p. = spine ; n. — nuclear bodies ; n.c.r. = 

 non-cellular region ; c. — cavity ; e.c.= 

 epithelial cells ; v. = vacuole ; c.t. = connec- 

 tive tissue. 



