Ultrastructural investigations of the epidermis and the gill epithelium in the intrauterine larvae of Salamandra salamandra (L.) (Amphibia, Urodela).

The epidermis and the gill epithelium of larval intrauterine Salamandra salamandra were studied by the electron microscope. Both epithelia are bilayered. In the epidermis of the skin three cell types occur: pavement cells containing apical mucous granules, basal cells, Leydig cells and sporadically pea-shaped cells which obviously correspond to the Langerhans cells described by previous authors. The epithelium of the gills is composed of pavement-, basal-, pea-shaped, and ciliated cells. In the primary gill bar there are additional mitochondria-rich cells and single Leydig cells. In the secondary gill filament the thickness of the epithelium is reduced. There is no morphological evidence for the uptake of material by endocytosis in the apical plasmalemm of the pavement cells.