Rapid Location of Fish Taste Buds by a Selective Surface Staining Method

Abstract

A surface staining of taste buds was studied in the minnow Pseudorasbora parva, carp Cyprinus carpio and blind cave fish Astyanax mexicanus by immersing the tissues in various kinds of staining solutions. The taste pores of buds in the lips, palatal organ and buccal cavity were found to be stained selectively with ponceau S or pontamine sky blue 6B dissolved in trichloroacetic acid solutions. In fresh material the dyes were restricted to only the taste pore regions while in fixed material they penetrated deeply into the buds as well as into the general epithelium. This surface staining method enables a rapid location and counting of taste buds without preparing histological sections. © 1984, The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science. All rights reserved.