AMPULLARY ORGANS, PIT ORGANS, AND NEUROMASTS OF THE CHINESE GIANT SALAMANDER, ANDRIAS-DAVIDIANUS

The lateral-line sense organs in the skin of larval, juvenile and adult salamanders (Andrias davidianus) were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. In addition to mechanoreceptive neuromasts, there are electroreceptive ampullary organs. Anatomically, the latter are similar to the ampullary organs of some other urodeles. In the giant salamander they occur only in larvae and disappear after metamorphosis. Neuromasts are arranged in lines and in different orientations that apparently maximize directionality. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Anatomy & MorphologySCI(E)1ARTICLE2149-15722