HETEROGENEITY OF PERITONEAL-CELLS IN MARINE TELEOSTS

We examined peritoneal cells of 16 marine teleost species to examine w hether unique peritoneal cells observed in red sea bream are present i n other marine teleosts or not. The components of peritoneal cells wer e divided into four types; I) consisted only of macrophages; II) two k inds of cells, macrophages and heterophilic granulocytes; III) three k inds of cells, macrophages, heterophilic granulocytes, and unclassifie d large round cells (large cells); and IV) four kinds of cells, macrop hages, heterophilic granulocytes, large cells, and small cells with py knotic nuclei. The group of type I included Japanese whiting, yellowta il, and Japanese conger. Group II included sea bass, rabbitfish, green ling, Japanese flounder, and filefish. Group III consisted of red sea bream, wrasse, mackerel, common Japanese goby, and kitefin dragonet. G roup IV included black sea bream, silver bream, and flathead. Small ce lls of flathead had a similar morphology to lymphocytes, when examined electron microscopically. As the large cells of group III and IV vari ed widely in morphologies, especially in nuclei and granules, we could not categorize the 'large cells' into a single cell type.