Abstract: The morphological,histological and histochemical characteristics of digestive tract were studied in ovate pompano Trachinotus ovatus by dissection,histology and histochemistry with H.E and AB-PAS.Results showed that the fish had smaller oropharynx with numerous teeth.Many villius-like extrusions were found on the upper and lower lips,no tooth existing on the maxilla and lower jaws.The villus-like extrusions were observed on the inner side of the gill rakers.Esophagus was thick and short with many broad mucosa rugas.The stomach was expanded and shaped as U with a distinct cecum,abundance gastric pits and gastric gland in cardiac portion and in gastric cecum.There were plentiful mucosa rugas on the surface of foregut,midgut and hindgut with the maximum mucous cell density.The pyloric caeca were changed from 25 to 35 in number,and long and thin in shape.The ratio of body length to intestine length was 0.61.Hepatopancreas was of the digestive gland.Most of mucous cells in esophagus were of typeⅠwhile the typeⅠand typeⅢpredominated in cardiac portion.Most mucous cells in gastric cecum,pyloric portion,foregut,midgut and pyloric caeca were of typeⅢcolour,and the typeⅡwere in the hindgut.
2012, Vol. 27 
