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Facultative air-breathing fish can exchange respiratory gases using an air-breathing organ (ABO), such as the oral cavity of the integument, during environmental hypoxia. The goby Gobionellus oceanicus inhabits areas subject to environmental hypoxia; however, its ABO is unknown. To investigate the respiratory potential of G. oceanicus, the gill and integument surface area, diffusion capacity, and their diffusion barrier thickness were measured. Our results show that although gill surface area is smaller than observed in other facultative air-breathing fish, but it has all features necessary to perform aquatic gas exchange. Additionally the integument of the palate has a short diffusion barrier thickness and a large calculated O2 -diffusion capacity suggesting that it functions as the ABO.

A study of the integument of the aquatic mite Arrenurus major Marshall is presented. When the cuticle is examined with the unaided eye and the light microscope, it appears to possess numerous tiny pits. However, scanning electron micrographs of the cuticle reveal that it is a solid surface with topographical sculpturing of the epicuticle, indicating that the "pits" are an internal phenomenon. In cuticle which has been sectioned, areas devoid of cuticular material beneath the thin exocuticle are revealed. These areas are the pits which are goblet-shaped. The integument consists of five major strata. These are from the outside to the inside: (1) a superficial layer with a maximum observed thickness of 725 A, (2) an epicuticle with a thickness of about 900 A and composed of at least four sublayers, (3) an exocuticle with a thickness of about 1.5 A. Fibers of the exocuticle are arranged in a Bouligand pattern and exhibit a regularly occurring discontinuity with a spacing of 200 A. (4) An endocuticle ranging from 15 to 20 μ in thickness. The endocuticle is characterized by bandings which superficially resemble the lamellae of insects but are not homologous, microfibers which exhibit a preferred orientation, and the presence of the pits; and (5) an epidermis lying beneath the endocuticle and extending into the pits. Pore canals are present only in the exocuticle and have their origin at the apices of the pits. The pore canals contain a central filament, and a plug is present just beneath the epicuticle.

Homolid crabs (Hypsophrys) from water deeper than 700 m in the Straits of Florida and Arabian Sea have smooth darkened oval spots contrasting with the surrounding roughened integument on inner and outer surfaces of each pincer at the base of the fixed finger. Cuticle is thinner over these spots than over surrounaing tissues. Beneath each spot is an organ composed of two markedly contrasting layers of tissue: (1) an outer, densely staining layer of tightly packed tubules, relatively straight and perpendicular to the overlying surface proximally but progressively convoluted and narrowed distally, finally ending blindly in association with the overlying thinned cuticle; (2) an inner layer of relatively large, eosinophilic, irregular cells with dark nuclei also trending at a right angle to the integument and bulging into the hemal sinus of the hand but separated from it by an epidermal lining. Droplets secreted from the inner layer apparently move into and along the tubules. Similar organs are known in no other crabs. The function is unknown but the structure suggests that they may be photophores.

The molting cycle of Artemia is described and subdivided in stages A-D3 according to the system of Drach. Determination of the stages is done in living animals by light microscopic observation of changes in the texture of the setal matrix of the exopodites. A parallel ultrastructural investigation of the integument was carried out to control the proposed staging scheme. The duration of each stage was calculated.

We investigated the morphology of the skin and the biochemistry of the lipids in the skin secretion of Bokermannohyla alvarengai, a montane treefrog that is known to bask regularly, motionless in full sunlight for extended periods of time. Our primary goal was to identify structural and biochemical modifications that might assist this frog species to accommodate the conflicting demands for heat exchange and water balance while basking. The modulation of heat exchange in basking B. alvarengai involves changes in skin coloration. We found that this response was supported by a prominent monolayer of large iridophores, whose light reflectance property is adjusted by the response of intervening melanophores. Mucosubstances and lipid compounds, mainly consisted of saturated fatty acids and presumably secreted from granular glands, were detected on the skin of B. alvarengai. These compounds formed an extra-epidermal layer over the animal's dorsal surface that might assist in the prevention of excessive water loss through evaporation. Additionally, we found well-developed skin folds at the ventral region of the frogs that lead to an increment of surface area. This feature combined with the extensive hypervascularization, also noticed for the skin of B. alvarengai, may play an important role in water reabsorption. The suite of structural and biochemical modifications identified for the integument of B. alvarengai seems to conjugate aspects relevant to both, heat exchange and water balance, allowing for this species to explore basking as an efficient thermoregulatory strategy.

Hatchlings of the North American painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) spend their first winter of life inside a shallow, subterranean hibernaculum (the natal nest) where they may be exposed for extended periods to ice and cold. Hatchlings seemingly survive exposure to such conditions by becoming supercooled (i.e., by remaining unfrozen at temperatures below the equilibrium freezing point for body fluids), so we investigated the role of their integument in preventing ice from penetrating into body compartments from surrounding soil. We first showed that hatchlings whose epidermis has been damaged are more likely to be penetrated by growing crystals of ice than are turtles whose cutaneous barrier is intact. We next studied integument from a forelimb by light microscopy and discovered that the basal part of the alpha-keratin layer of the epidermis contains a dense layer of lipid. Skin from the forelimb of other neonatal turtles lacks such a layer of lipid in the epidermis, and these other turtles also are highly susceptible to inoculative freezing. Moreover, epidermis from the neck of hatchling painted turtles lacks the lipid layer, and this region of the skin is readily penetrated by growing crystals of ice. We therefore conclude that the resistance to inoculation imposed by skin on the limbs of hatchling painted turtles results from the presence of lipids in the alpha-keratin layer of the epidermis. Neonates apparently are able to avoid freezing during winter by drawing much of the body inside the shell, leaving only the ice-resistant integument of the limbs exposed to ice in the environment. The combination of behavior and skin morphology enables overwintering hatchlings to exploit an adaptive strategy based on supercooling.

Wound healing in the integument of the sea cucumber, Thyone briareus, was studied for up to 50 days after inflicting wide excisional wounds and for 14 days after producing incisional wounds. Rapid re-epithelialization of the wound was effected by the migration of epidermal cells and pigment cells from the periphery of the wound margin. This occurred without apparent evidence of concomitant mitotic activity. Dermal wound healing was completed by the fourteenth day in the incision wounds but occurred very slowly in the broad excision wounds. Morula cells seem to be involved in both epidermal and dermal wound healing, although their precise role is unknown. In excisional wounds the integument was never completely restored to its normal appearance during 50 days of observation.

Concomitant with the appearance of the early secretion granules the nucleus enlarges slightly, the basichromatin is reduced and discrete acidophilic granules appear within the nuclei. Some nuclei become vacuolated and in others the basichromatin is practically reduced to a thin shell reinforced with occasional chromatic strands. Such nuclei are filled with acidophilic granules. In many instances the portion of the nucleus adjacent to the secretion is greatly modified, the basichromatin is reduced and presents an alveolar pattern with the alveoli filled with acidophilic material and elongated at right angles to the nuclear membrane. This appearance suggests that material is passing from the nucleus into the cytoplasm but no cytological evidence of such a passage was obtained. During the storage phase giant nuclei are present. They appear to be the result of a simple hypertrophy but in a few instances it appeared that multiplication by direct division, followed by coalescence might be a contributory factor to their formation. Following thyroidectomy or hypophysectomy the production of secretion was retarded but no profound regression was observed. After treatment with implants or injections of anterior pituitary a mild stimulation was observed. The evidence for nuclear participation in the formation of secretion is not conclusive but many of the changes which occur strongly suggest such an activity.

A histological study of Hammond's simple recessive ‘furless’ rabbits was made from many series of sections taken from the skin of both the normal and furless rabbits of several pertinent ages. It was found that the external absence of under-hair or fur exists because of a failure of the hairs of these follicles to erupt. This failure is due to a premature keratinization which first affects the sebaceous glands and then the inner epithelial sheath. The resulting abnormal channel allows an erratic escape, especially of the regenerating hair above the incomplete inner sheath into the surrounding connective tissue, where the escaped part of the hair atrophies. The final condition shows an inflammatory reaction in the areolar tissue here. There is no check on the growth from the bulb of the root. Other elements of the skin verify this excessive keratinization. The cause of the abnormal metabolic changes conceivably lies in an inadequate tissue supply of oxygen or nutrition. The regulator may be the sympathetic system directly or indirectly (by hormone action), or it may be an inhibitor resident in the integument itself.

The microscopical examination of the first haploid salamander to live through metamorphosis shows that the transformation to a terrestrial vertebrate was normal and practically completed at the time of its death. All the organs and structures that develop shortly before and during metamorphosis and are typical for the adult salamander, e.g., the integument, the pharyngeal derivatives, and various glands of special function, are present. The nuclei in all organs and tissues of the haploid animal are smaller than normal. This is indirect evidence of the uniformly haploid condition of the animal. The majority of the organs are smaller than in the control but contain a larger number of cells. In some glands, the reduced cell size has been completely compensated by the increase in cell number.

The topography and histology of the skin of the naked mole (Heterocephalus glaber) have been correlated with its behavior. The integument is exceptionally loose, thereby reducing integumentary stresses when the animal is digging and moving in narrow tunnels. It also allows the position of the nasolabial sensory patch to change. This patch is exposed to mechanical stimuli when Heterocephalus moves along the tunnel, but becomes partially shielded by a transient buccal evagination, the formation and function of which are here described. Most of the differentiated patches of the skin lie in the cranial and anogenital regions. The eyes are microphthalmic and nearly completely closed by the nonmobile eyelids; there is no pinna, hair-coat or sweat glands. The epidermis is of variable thickness; in some places it has only one layer of cells. The detached epidermal cells penetrate the dermis irregularly. The epidermis of Heterocephalus is specialized by modifications of its germinative stratum, equivalent to an epidermosis, the syndrome of which consists of reduction of all types of epidermal buddings-pilogenetic and adenogenetic-as well as those which have a mechanical significance.