Digestive system of a typical

fish (Rohu)

The ground plan of the digestive tract of

vertebrates was established among fishes.
The rohu (Labeo rohita) is herbivorous fish as
far as its feeding nature is concerned.
The digestive system includes a. alimentary
canal and b. digestive glands.
A. Alimentary canal: It is complete and
tubular and is divided into four zones, in the
usual way:

1. Ingressive zone: This part of the alimentary

canal (gut) meant basically to receive food.
. It includes i. mouth ii. Buccal cavity and iii.
Pharynx.
i. Mouth:
. The mouth is crescentic and subterminal and
is bounded by fleshy lips having cervical
papillae containing taste buds.
. The fish has no teeth on the margin of the jaw
but are placed on the pharyngeal floor.
. The mouth leads into the buccal cavity.

ii. Buccal cavity:

It is the anterior part of the mouth
cavity.
It is quite spaceous and compressed
dorsoventrally but wide laterally having
mucous membrane.
Distinct tongue is absent.
The buccal cavity leads into pharynx.

iii. Pharynx:
The pharynx is the posterior part of oral cavity.
It is also dorsoventrally compressed and is
perforated laterally but four pairs of gill slits
opening into branchial chambers.
The teeth are present only on the inferior
pharyngeal bone.
Pharynx leads posteriorly into the oesophagus.

2. Progressive Zone: It includes the parts of

gut where food progresses further.
It has two parts, i. Oesophagus, and ii.
Intestinal bulb.
i. Oesophagus: The oesophagus is a short
narrow tube like structure.
. Its mucous lining forms prominent
longitudinal folds and several smaller folds
in between them.

A pneumatic duct arises from the dorsal

side of the oesophagus and opens into the
air bladder.

The mucous folds of oesophagus converge

posteriorly to form an oesophageal sphincter
to check the entry of water into the intestine
and also to prevent regurgitation of food.

The oesophagus leads into the intestinal

bulb.

ii. Intestinal bulb:

It is a long thick walled wide structure
extending below the air bladder.
The intestinal bulb has an anterior
broader cardiac part into which opens
dorsally the pancreatic and bile ducts,
and a posterior narrower pyloric part
without pyloric caecae, which are
common in carnivorous fishes.

 The lining of cardiac part

honey-comb like appearance.

gives

Similarly, the inner bile duct and

pancreatic duct and a papilla situate
just behind the oesopharyngeal
sphincter in its roof.
Rohu and other carps do not have
true stomach. The intestinal bulb
opens into a thin walled intestine.

3. Degressive zone:
This is the part of gut where food is
properly hydrolyzed and absorbed.
It has a very long coiled ileum, which is of
uniform diameter.
Its internal lining thrown into longitudinal
folds, particularly in the posterior part.

In the anterior part,

transversely displayed.

the

folds

are

4. Egressive zone:
This is the part of gut that store undigested
wastes for a short time.
The rectum has relatively thick layers of circular
and longitudinal muscle fibers and a larger
number of mucous cells than in the intestine.
Rectum is wider than intestine. Rectal gland is
lacking. It opens outside by anus placed mid
ventrally in front of anal fin.
The mucosal folds of the rectum are short and
broad.

Digestive glands:
In rohu (Labeo rohita) liver and pancreas constitute
the main digestive glands.
i.Liver:
The liver is bilobed yellowish brown and elongated
structure.
Both the lobes of liver remain connected with one
another at three places by means of anterior median
lobe, middle connecting lobe and posterior median
mass.
The right lobe is narrower while left lobe is broader. A
thin walled elongated sac like gall bladder lies
dorsally between right liver lobe and intestinal bulb.

 A cuptic
bladder.

duct

arises

from

gall

It receives three hepatic ducts from

liver lobes and forms a bile duct. The
bile duct opens into the intestinal
bulb.

The main function of liver is

secretion of digestive enzyme, bile
and energy storage in the form of

ii. Pancreas:
The pancreas of rohu is not a distinct organ.
It is in the form of diffused pancreatic tissue scattered in
the substance of liver, fat of intestinal mesentery and
spleen.
The pancreatic duct emerges from the anterior part of the
left liver lobe and runs parallel to the bile duct and finally
opens into the cardiac region of the intestinal bulb.
Both pancreatic duct and bile duct remain enclosed by a
common seath, but remain separate throughout and open
separately in the intestinal bulb.
Pancreas secretes the enzymes lipase (fat digestion),
trypsinogen (protein digestion), tripsin (protein digestion),
amylase (Carbohydrate digestion), insulin, glucagon etc.