On the Yellowish Brown Pigment Granules in the Interrenal Cells of Anglerfish and Leopard Shark

Abstract

Yellowish brown pigment called lipofuscin is included in the adrenal gland of variousmammalian species and appears as abundant granules in the cortical cells of its zona recticularis. Among many fish species examined by the present author, the yellowish brown pigment granuleswere abundantly detected only in the interrenal cells of the anglerfish Lophius litulon and the leopardshark Triakis scyllia. For this examination, three large-sized specimens of the anglerfish wereused and their body weights were 2.5 to 8.6kg. In the leopard shark, appearance and accumu-latiop of the pigment granules were remarkable in four large-sized specimens(118-123cm in bodylength) among ten specimens(60-123cm)investigated. Accordingly, it was suggested that the yellowish brown pigment granules appeared and revealed conspicuous accumulation in the inter-renal cells of large-sized fishes with advanced age