The epithelium of the gastro-intestinal tract of Polypterus senegalus (Pisces:Brachiopterygii)

Light and electron microscopic studies revealed ciliation of the epithelium of the entire gastro-intestinal tract of Polypterus. Acidophil cells were found in the different regions of the alimentary canal, including its derivatives (the lungs and hepato-pancreatic ducts). Compared to other primitive forms and modern teleosts, the extreme fusion of the intestinal caeca in Polypterus, the ciliation and the overall dispersion of acidophil cells may represent a special organization inherited from a palaeoniscoid ancestor. Attention is also drawn to a possible channel of early evolution and function of the stomach diverticulum.