Abstract
Morphological studies were conducted of the lingual gland of Onychodactylus japonicus. This amphibian shows a different behavior between the earlier stages having gills (characterized by the 60th stage) and the later stage after the completion of metamorphosis with loss of the gills (characterized by the 70th stage). After the 70th stage, this animal lives both in the water and on the land. Its eating habits are consequently different between the 60th and 70th stages.
Many characteristics are found in the lingual glands in Onychodactylus japonicus with poor development of the major salivary glands. Two kinds of granules are found in the cells in the terminal portion of the lingual gland, one being a mucous homogeneous granule (A type) and the other with a central core surrounded by a light halo with a low electron density (B type). Attempts were made to investigate the structure and functions of these granules.
