SURFACE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE OLFACTORY LAMELLAE OF A MURREL, CHANNA-PUNCTATA (BLOCH) (CHANNIDAE, CHANNIFORMES)

In fishes, unlike terrestrial animals, olfaction takes place entirely in the aquatic environment. Here the carrier of stimulant chemical mol ecule is not air but water. Thus chemicals that are to be detected olf actorily by fishes need not be volatile, but must be soluble in water. Thus, chemicals that are to be detected olfactorily epithelium detect the stimulant chemical molecules present in the ventilating water1,2. Paucity of information on micromorphology of the olfactory lamellae o f Indian fish species forms the basis of the present paper on the surf ace ultrastructure of the olfactory lamellar epithelium of an air-brea thing murrel, C. punctata.