The mouth and gastrointestinal tract of the african lung fish Protopterus annectens (owen 1839) in River Niger at Agenebode, Edo State Nigeria

Marian Onwude, Agbugui; Sunnie Joshua, Oniye

doi:10.21608/ejabf.2019.52848

The mouth and gastrointestinal tract of the african lung fish Protopterus annectens (owen 1839) in River Niger at Agenebode, Edo State Nigeria

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

10.21608/ejabf.2019.52848

Abstract

The mouth of P. annectens is terminal, its jaws are modified to hold incisors -scissor-like teeth that can hold and tear deep into the flesh of prey. The mouth opens up to 10% of its total body length which allows the fish to seize its prey easily. The gastrointestinal (GIT) is straight, short and a composite comprising of many organs and tissues. The organs are wrapped in serosa. The morphology and histology of the GIT, (oesophagus to the cloaca) reveals the adaptation to the food and feeding habit of fish. The numerous mucosal folds in the intestine are a usual occurrence in carnivorous species. The ability of the intestine to distend and the presence of the numerous large folds allow fishes to accommodate a large quantity of food items as digestion takes place and nutrients are being ingested.

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