Morphology and histochemistry of the skin of the Korean spined loach, Iksookimia koreensis (Cobitidae), in relation to respiration

The epidermis of the Korean spined loach Iksookimia koreensis was divided into three layers: an outermost layer, middle layer and stratum germinativum. And the dermis was composed of two layers: stratum laxum and compactum. The outermost layer consisted of polygonal cells or flattened cells, small amount mucous cells, and the middle layer consisted of two types of skin glands, a small mucous cell and a large club cell. The mucous cell was acid sulfomucins (some sialomucins), but the club cell did not show any histochemical reaction to mucosubstances. The stratum germinativum was composed of a cuboidal epithelial cell and a well-defined lymphatic space containing small lymphocytes. There was a large number of blood vessels just below the basement membrane. The stratum laxum of dermis has small scales and a definite area that was AB positive and PAS positive.