MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE SKIN AND ANNEXES OF NILE TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, Linnaeus, 1758) skin has histological characteristics that favor wound healing and attest to its use as an occlusive biological dressing, such as the overlapping of intertwined collagen fibers forming a peculiar bond that results in resistance and softness. Aquatic vertebrates have a lateral acoustic system formed by specific epidermal organs, which is compared to the olfactory system in terrestrial vertebrates. The present work aimed to analyze the main anatomical and histological characteristics of the skin and appendages of Nile tilapia. The results obtained are an important contribution to add to other studies, which are not very scarce, when in relation to the morphology of the fish and its skin.