On the cytoarchitecture of the corpuscles of Stannius of the catfish, Heteropneustes fossils (Bloch).

The cytoarchitecture of the corpuscles of Stannius (CS) of the catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis has been investigated. Based on the arrangement of septa and cells, at least 4 principal architectural patterns can be distinguished. In the first type, the cells appear either as cords or as follicles due to complete formation of thin septa. In the second category also, the penetrating septa are thin but divide the CS into incompletely delimited lobes. In the third type, the septa are thick and their branches unite, sometimes resulting in the formation of complete lobes. In the fourth type, each CS is formed of aggregates of lobes, each of which consists of a number of complete or incomplete lobules. The limitations involved in the classification of the CS into 4 types, on the basis of the septal arrangement, have been discussed in the light of the fact that H. fossilis possesses all the 4 types of CS.