Acute Toxic Effects of Mercuric Chloride on the Mucocytes of the Epithelial Lining of the Accessory Respiratory Organ and Skin of the Air Breathing Catfish Heteropneustes fossilis（Bloch）^1

摘要

Acute toxicity of 0.3ppm mercuric chloride on the mucocytes of th branchial diverticulum and skin of Hetropneustes fossilis results is cyclic increases followed by decreases in the density,area occupancy and volume at different intervals of exposure.The alterations in the two tissues do not follow the same path perhaps due to different modes of action of the mercury salt:The skin comes under direct contact effects.while the branchial diverticulum may be affected by hormonal imbalance caused by a stress effect.