• SURESH CHANDRA JOSHI

Various cellular components in the epidermis of snout of Garra gotyla, Schizothorax richardsonii, G pectinopterus and Pseudecheneis sulcatus, have been characterized by using scanning electron microscopy techniques in an attempt to understand their functional significance in relation to friction. The epidermis is differentiated into rough and smooth in G. pectinopterus, P. sulcatus & S. richardsonii and is smooth only in G. gotyla. The rough epidermis consists of the epithelial cells. The smooth epidermis in addition to these cells type also possesses mucous cells in the all four fishes. The surface of rough epidermis and smooth epidermis of S. richardsonii, P. sulcatus, and G. pectinopterus are keratinized in nature. In the smooth epidermis the mucous cell apertures are interspersed between the epithelial cells in these fishes. In rough epidermis of mid dorsal part of snout possesses epidermal tubercles. The base of each tubercle is broad, some poorly developed taste buds are describe in the snout of S. richardsonii and P. sulcatus. In G. pectinopterus large numbers of unculiferus plaques are present all aver the snout. These plaques are separated each other by epidermal furrow. The presence of these plaques is probably an adaptation to the peculiar digging mode of life of this fish as surface can better protect from wear and tear, providing hardness, durability and mechanical strength than that of glandular epidermis. Taste buds assist fish in the location of food and in the analysis of chemical structures in the epidermis of snout of all the three fishes under present investigation may compensate for reduce eyes in the hill-stream fishes.

Hill-Stream Fishes, Epidermis, Snout and SEM.

"Comparative Surface Ultrastructure of the Snout Epidermis in Selected Hill-Stream Fishes: A Scanning Electron Microscopic Study", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.13, Issue 3, page no.e475-e483, March-2026, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2603455.pdf

"Comparative Surface Ultrastructure of the Snout Epidermis in Selected Hill-Stream Fishes: A Scanning Electron Microscopic Study", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.13, Issue 3, page no. ppe475-e483, March-2026, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2603455.pdf