Comparative Histological Study of Pancreas in Heteropneustes Fossilis and Barbus Luteus

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare histological structure of pancreas gland in two of common species of fishes in Iraq, Heteropneustes fossilis and Barbus luteus. The study revealed that the gland is of a diffused type in both species, also the pancreatic tissue is restricted to the anterior part of the abdominal cavity in H. fossilis ,wheras in B. luteus the pancreatic tissue diffused in the fatty tissue among the intestinal coils. The acini are found around the blood vessels ,for instance they follow the course of the portal vein and hepatic artery ,therefore the histological study has demonstrated the existence of hepatopancreas in both species .But in B.luteus, the acini are found around the vessels within the spleen ,thus the splenopancreas distinguished in this species only .The endocrine portion of pancreas has represented by numerous islets of Langerhans in the tissue around the gall bladder, bile duct and blood vessels in H. fossilis ,but there was large islet of Langerhans in addition to numerous small islets in the glandular tissue close to gallbladder.