Abstract:
The present study focuses on the structural differences of swim bladder between some fishes of order Siluriformes. Four fishes from the family Schilbeidae two from family Bagridae, two from siluridae and one from Sisoridae were taken up observation. A collective information of the swim bladder and their differences between closely related families would be useful for taxonomic correlation and position in further studies. Remarkable differences of the swim bladder were found between the same families described here, though there habitat and feeding behaviour were same. Although the swim bladder was almost similar in Ompok bimaculatus and Wallago attu, in Mystus cavasius it bears two horn like projections on its anterior corners and in Rita rita of the same family Bagaridae two tube like outgrowths or diverticulum run downwards from the posterior corners of the swim bladder. The swim bladder species of the family Sisoridae Laguvia ribeiroi ribeiroi was bilobed, situated in two lateral cavities . The four species of the family schilbeidae showed much differences in the structure of organ concerned. It was interesting to note that in some species the swim bladder was greatly reduced whereas in Pseudeutropius aetherinoids it was developed and resembled the swim bladder of Ompok and although they were kept in different families.
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