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An increase in salinity of the aquatic habitat can be an environmental stress factor for fresh aquatic organism, including fish. The present study investigated the impact of salinity and diet composition on digestibility and intestinal morphology of Nile tilapia. Triplicate groups of 35 fish weighing 35 g were fed a “Control” and “Test” diet and kept at salinity of 0‰ and 15‰ for 8 weeks. The diets were formulated using a different soybean meal content to create a contrast in alterations in intestinal morphology. Six fish per treatment were sampled for intestinal morphology analysis at the end of weeks 1, 4 and 8. The proximal, middle and distal intestine were processed for quantitative histology, in order to count the number of goblet cells and eosinophilic granulocytes; and to measure the thickness of lamina propria and sub-epithelia mucosa. The study showed that a salinity of 15‰ increased the nutrient digestibility; however this enhanced digestibility diminished over time. The intestinal morphology was influenced by both the salinity as well as the dietary soybean meal content. For soybean meal, the impact on morphology was largest in the proximal region of the intestine, whereas for salinity the largest impact was in the distal region. The negative effect of increased soybean meal on the lamina propria thickness was enhanced at a salinity of 15‰ and aggravated in time. Difference in nutrient digestibility induced by the salinity seemed not to be related to alterations in the intestinal morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digestive tract of Trachelyopterus striatulus (Steindachner, 1877) was studied using morphological, histological, and histochemical techniques. The barbels, lips and tongue had stratified squamous epithelium with mucous, claviform cells, and taste buds. Trachelyopterus striatulus had a dental plaque with villiform teeth. The bucopharyngeal cavity was formed by the gill apparatus and pharyngeal teeth with vilifform denticles. The oesophagus presented stratified squamous epithelium with mucous cells and taste buds. The stomach included cardiac, fundic, and pyloric regions and a simple prismatic epithelium with prismatic cells that reacted positively to periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and amylase+PAS. Only the cardiac and pyloric regions responded positively to alcian blue pH 2.5 (Ab pH 2.5) and alcian blue pH 0.5 (Ab pH 0.5). The cardiac and fundic regions exhibited tubular gastric glands. The intestine was 118.90 ± 22.49 mm long with an intestinal coefficient (CO) of 0.83 ± 0.13. The epithelium was simple prismatic with a brush border and goblet cells, and a greater number of goblet cells were found in the caudal region of the intestine. The mucous cells and goblet cells reacted positively to PAS, amylase+PAS, Ab pH 2.5, and Ab pH 0.5. We analysed if the function of the mucosubstances and morphological characteristics of the digestive tract of T. striatulus are compatible with omnivorous feeding habit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]