Structural Glands Of Juvenile Caecilians (Amphibia, Gymnophiona, Ichthyophiidae) At Kubah National Park, Sarawak

• Main Author: Norazmina Teh, Nor Adnan
• Format: Final Year Project Report
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak 2017
• Subjects: Q Science (General)
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/31000/2/Norazmina.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/31000/

Caecilian is amphibians that are mostly dependent on moist environment and high humidity which may due to the structural glands that present in the skin of juvenile caecilians. Structural glands such as granular gland, mucous gland and seromucous gland is described in the skin of two individuals of juvenile Ichthyophis asplenius from Kubah National Park. Two parameters (number of glands and area of gland to skin) were used in this study in order to better understand and relate between the presence of structural glands in the skin of caecilian and physiology adaptations of caecilians. Histology technique using Optimum Cutting Temperature (OCT), Biological Cryostat machine (LEICA CM1850 UV), and Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining were used to prepare the histology slides, mounted with skin sectioned at 5μm thick. Nine replicates of each part of the skin (branchial, mid body, and tail) were used. The slides images were viewed using Microscope Olympus CX21 LED, captured using Motic Camera 2. OMP, and measured using ImageJ software. The significance difference of numeration of glands and area ratio of the glands to skin tested by using ONE-way Anova. Among the structural glands, mucous glands has the lowest numeration of gland of 1. asplenius were found on dorsal and ventral. The result of the lowest numeration of mucous gland is discussed in relation to the physiological adaptations of these primitive fossorial amphibians.