Characteristics of Morphological Changes in Fins according to Larval Growth of Red Spotted Grouper, Epinephelus akaara.

This study investigated the fin development and morphological characteristics according to larval growth in order to obtain information on behavioral characteristics and optimal stocking density during red seed grouper seed production. To examine the growth and fin development process of the larvae, we randomly sampled at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 25, 30, 39, 45, 51, and 72 days after hatching. External morphology was observed and measured using an optical microscope. To observe skeletal development, larvae at 13, 20, 30, and 72 days after hatching were fixed in formalin and stained for cartilage and bone examination. At 9-10 DAH, red spotted grouper larvae (2.74±0.1 to 3.0±0.2 mm TL) exhibited a second dorsal fin spine and pelvic fin spine, which subsequently elongated. At 19-20 DAH, the larvae (5.7±0.1 to 6.1±0.1 mm TL) have the lengths of the second dorsal fin spine and pelvic fin spine average 34% and 31% to total length, respectively. From 30 to 72 DAH (12.6±0.4 to 56.0±0.2 mm TL), the length of the second dorsal fin spine and pelvic fin spine to total length decreased from 27% to 8% for the dorsal fin and 21% to 14% for the pelvic fin, respectively. At 30 DAH (12.6±0.4 mm TL), the larvae reached the complete count of fin rays in each fin. At 39 DAH (20.28±3.07 mm TL), the larvae had fin shapes similar to those of adults. At 13-30 DAH (4.2±0.1 to 12.6±0.9 mm TL), barbs and spinules were distributed along the ridges of the second dorsal and pelvic fin spines. However, at 72 DAH, these barbs and spinules were no longer observed on the fins. During the seed production process, red spotted grouper larvae tend to cluster in the morning, and during this time, entanglement of barbs and spinules on the second dorsal and pelvic fin spines can lead to mortality. Therefore, it is considered essential to focus on managing the behavioral patterns and appropriate rearing density of red spotted grouper larvae from the emergence of barbs and spinules on the second dorsal and pelvic fin spines until they regress and metamorphosis is completed.

Adult colorectal intussusception caused by giant lipoma-A case report.

Key Clinical Message: Adult intussusception commonly has a leading point. In the colon, malignancy is a prevalent etiology for the leading point; however, benign tumors should also be considered. We present a case of colorectal intussusception caused by a giant lipoma. Abstract: Intussusception in adults is comparatively infrequent in contrast to children, and in adult colonic intussusception, malignancy is the predominant cause of the leading point. Lipoma, an uncommon tumor in the gastrointestinal tract, rarely induces colonic intussusception in adults. We present the case of a 55-year-old Cambodian man experiencing cramping abdominal pain. He presented with mild abdominal distension with tenderness in the lower abdomen. On the rectal examination a large palpable mass was detected three to four centimeters from the anal verge. Abdominal computerized tomography revealed a collapsed sigmoid colon with mesenteric fat invaginated into the lumen of the upper rectum. Emergency laparotomy was performed and during the surgery the sigmoid intussusception spontaneously reduced. A mass was identified in the mid-sigmoid colon, leading to the decision for segmental resection of the sigmoid colon with the mass and subsequent end-to-end anastomosis. Histological examination results confirmed the mass as a lipoma. Colorectal intussusception in adults due to a lipoma is a relatively rare, with only a few reported cases in the literature.

A congenital wandering spleen with a large epithelial cyst: A case report.

We present a case of a 21-year-old female patient who had a wandering spleen with a large cyst. The celiotomy was performed under the impression of torsion of the wandering spleen and leakage from the splenic cyst. The total splenectomy was performed instead of cystectomy and splenopexy.

Reproductive Cycle of Blue-Striped Angelfish, Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis in Jeju Coastal Waters.

Reproductive cycle of the blue-striped angelfish, Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis were histologically investigated. Fish were monthly collected in the coastal waters of Munseom, Seogwipo, Jeju-Island from February to December 2018. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) increased from May and maintained high values in August. The reproductive cycle of female fish can be classified by the characteristics observed during gonadal development as followed: growing stage (November to June), early mature stage (May to June), mature and spawning stage (June to September), and degenerative and recovery stage (September to December). In the male, testicular development period was similar to that of ovarian development period, but mature and spawning period was one month longer from June to October. Fecundity of mature female ranged from 4,601 to 22,840 and was correlated positively with total length and body weight. The histological analysis of gonadal development indicated that the C. septentrionalis was summer-spawning type and is considered a multiple spawner during spawning season.

Effect of Rosemary Essential Oil and Trichoderma koningiopsis VOCs on Pathogenic Fungi Responsible for Ginseng Root-rot Disease.

Rosemary essential oil was evaluated for antifungal potentiality against six major ginseng pathogens: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Sclerotinia nivalis, Cylindrocarpon destructans, Alternaria panax, Botrytis cinerea, and Fusarium oxysporum. The in vitro fungicidal effects of two commonly used fungicides, namely mancozeb and fenhexamid, and the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Trichoderma koningiopsis T-403 on the mycelial growth were investigated. The results showed that rosemary essential oil is active against all of the pathogenic strains of ginseng root rot, whereas rosemary oil displayed high ability to inhibit the Sclerotinia spp. growth. The highest sensitivity was S. nivalis, with complete inhibition of growth at 0.1% v/v of rosemary oil, followed by Alternaria panax, which exhibited 100% inhibition at 0.3% v/v of the oil. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of rosemary oil ranged from 0.1 % to 0.5 % (v/v). Chemical analysis using GC-MS showed the presence of thirty-two constituents within rosemary oil from R. officinals L. Camphore type is the most frequent sesquiterpene in rosemary oil composition. Mancozeb and fenhexamid showed their highest inhibition effect (45% and 30%, respectively) against A. panax. T. koningiopsis T-403 showed its highest inhibition effect (84%) against C. destructans isolate. This study may expedite the application of antifungal natural substances from rosemary and Trichoderma in the prevention and control of phytopathogenic strains in ginseng root infections.

Annual patterns of ocular melatonin level in the female grass puffer, Takifugu alboplumbeus: possible involvement in seasonal reproductive response.

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression patterns of ocular melatonin in the annual reproductive cycle of the female grass puffer. Spawning season of the female grass puffer is from June to July in Jeju, South Korea. Time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay revealed that levels of ocular melatonin, which show an annual change, peaked in May (spawning season). Additionally, expression of reproductive-related genes also showed annual patterns: GnRH1 peaked in August, GnRH2 peaked in February, GnRH3, Kiss2, and LPXRFa peaked in November. These results suggest that ocular melatonin may be related to the annual reproductive cycle in the grass puffer. To better understand the photic regulation of AANAT1a mRNA in the retina, we observed the nocturnal pattern of ocular melatonin levels daily, which shows a nocturnal pattern in both short photoperiod (SD) and long photoperiod (LD) conditions. In the brain, AANAT2 mRNA also shows a nocturnal pattern in both SD and LD; however, the time of peak expression of AANAT2 mRNA was unchanged in both conditions. Following intraperitoneal injection of melatonin for 2 weeks, expression of GnRH2 and LPXRFa mRNA in the brain significantly increased, while that of Kiss2 mRNA was decreased, suggesting that melatonin has a reproduction-related effect. Furthermore, under SD and LD conditions for 14 weeks, the gonadosomatic index more increased and the maturity of the ovary progressed under LD compared with those under SD, suggesting that the SD photoperiodic signal inactivated ovarian development. These results indicate that the ocular melatonin may have a possible role in the reproductive endocrinology of the grass puffer.

Changes in Body Growth and Growth-Related Genes under Different Photoperiods in Olive Flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus.

This study examined the effects of different photoperiod conditions on olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), a commercially important species in Korea. Daily variations in the expression of mRNA for the growth-related genes ary-lalkylamine N-acetyltransferase2 (AANAT2), preprosomatostatin1 (PSS1), and growth hormone (GH) were examined under a 12 h light:12 h dark photoperiod. All the genes were expressed at higher level during the dark period. Melatonin injections increased the expression of GH, but did not significantly affect the expression of PSS. Under short-day conditions (10 h:14 h), the fish gained more weight than under long-day conditions (14 h:10 h). A long nighttime induced melatonin secretion and increased the expression of GH mRNA, promoting weight gain in this species. Therefore, we thought that the long day condition in raising olive flounder may be effective in inducing body growth.

Retinal development and opsin gene expression during the juvenile development in red spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara).

To produce healthy and stable seed production, we need to obtain information and understand vision that affects behavior of red spotted grouper. We examined their expression and retinal development during the juvenile development. Short-wavelength sensitive opsin (SWS2), a cone photoreceptor, began to be expressed from lens and ear vesicle formation stage and its expression increased until 10 days after hatching (dah). In case of middle-wavelength sensitive opsin (MWS), its expression was detected at 3 dah and reached the highest level at 21 dah. The expression of long-wavelength sensitive opsin (LWS) was first observed from 3 dah and their expression decreased thereafter. Rhodopsin, a rod photoreceptor, was found to be expressed from 2 dah and its expression reached the highest level at 50 dah. The outer nuclear layer (ONL), inner nuclear layer (INL) and ganglion cell layer began to differentiate at 2 dah, while choroid first appeared at 4 dah so that the eyes became black. These results indicate that the development of retina mostly completes around 4 dah. It seems that the development of the retina and the expression of the opsin genes are closely related to the behavior such as hunting prey, considering that the timing of the completion of the development of the retina, the timing of gene expression, and the timing of completion of yolk absorption are similar.

Expression Patterns of Growth Related Genes in Juvenile Red Spotted Grouper (Epinephelus akaara) with Different Growth Performance after Size Grading.

Fish shows great difference in growth rate between individuals during larval development and early growth. This difference seriously reduces the production efficiency in fish culture. Growth hormone (GH)/Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) system is said to play some pivotal roles in fish growth. In this study, we investigated differences of GH, IGF1 and GHR gene expressions in juvenile red spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara) with different growth performance. Red spotted groupers were reared under the same environmental condition (water temperature 24±1℃, natural light) for 96 days after hatching. They were divided into 3 groups by size (fast growing, middle growing and slow growing groups: FGG, MGG, and SGG, respectively). RNA was extracted from the brain, liver and muscle tissues from each group, and target gene expression was examined by real-time PCR. In the brain with pituitary gland, expression of GH gene in FGG was significantly higher than the expression in SGG, but the expression of IGF1 and GHR genes in the muscle was highest in SGG. Difference of GHR and IGF1 mRNA in the liver between groups with different growth performance was less clear than that in other tissues, although level of IGF1 mRNA was higher in SGG than in MGG. These results suggest that hormonal governing of growth is not the same in fast growing and slow growing fish, and size grading could cause a shift of hormonal state and growth pattern in this species.

Effects of Different Light Spectra on the Oocyte Maturation in Grass Puffer Takifugu niphobles.

In order to examine the effects of four different light spectra (white, red, green, and blue) on the oocyte maturation, the change of reproductive parameters, via brain-pituitary-gonad (BPG) axis in grass puffer, were investigated. After exposure four different light spectra for 7 weeks, the abundance of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA which is a type of seabream (sbGnRH) and two different subunit of gonadotropin hormones mRNAs, follicle-stimulating hormone (fshß) mRNA and luteinizing hormone (lhß) mRNA, were analyzed in the brain and pituitary. Histological analysis showed that the mature oocyte ratio in the green spectrum was higher than other light spectra-exposed groups. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) and oocyte developmental stage were also investigated in the gonad based on histological observations. GSI value with the presence of yolk stage oocytes was significantly increased in the green spectrum-exposed group when compared to that of the other light-exposed groups (white, red, and blue) (p˂0.05). The abundances of sbGnRH mRNA and fshß mRNA in the green spectrum-exposed group were also significant higher than those of the other light spectra-exposed groups (p˂0.05). These results indicate that the maturation of oocyte in grass puffer can be accelerated by exposure to the spectrum of green. To better understand the molecular mechanism for the maturation of oocyte in grass puffer, further study examining the relationship between oocyte development and its related genes is required.

Optimal combination of treatment modality to increase survival in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: A STROBE compliant retrospective study.

There is little consensus on the optimal treatment approach for newly diagnosed patients. The present study aims to provide additional evidence by evaluating a series of patients diagnosed with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) and analyzing factors related to increased survival. This was a retrospective cohort report structured according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guideline. Demographics, chief complaint, history of prior thyroid cancer, stage at presentation, management modalities (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or observation), completeness or resection, and survival period since initial diagnosis were reviewed for patients with documentation of histologic ATC diagnosis between 2003 and 2016. The median survival period for 34 patients (11 males, 23 females) was 93.5 days. Patients aged 70 or younger (111 days) tended to survive longer than those older 70 (88 days) (P = .081). Observation, surgery only, radiotherapy only, and chemo-radiotherapy after surgery group showed median survival of 88 days, 49 days (range 14-528), 61.5 days, and 225 days, respectively. There was also no significant difference in survival between the 10 (29.4%) stage IVb (225 days) and 23 (67.7%) IVc (88 days) patients (P = .242). The median survival of the R1 resection group was 514 days while that of the R2 group was 102 days (P = .338). There were no significant difference between patients with the de novo ATC (112 days) and patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma origin ATC (99 days) (P = .297). Results from our series of 34 patients with ATC show that more intense combination of surgery and chemo-radiotherapy tends to secure a longer survival period. Therefore we recommend a multi-modality approach after a comprehensive consultation with the patient.

Effects of temperature and melatonin on day-night expression patterns of arginine vasotocin and isotocin mRNA in the diencephalon of a temperate wrasse Halichoeres tenuispinis.

Most wrasses are protogynous species that swim to feed, reproduce during the daytime, and bury themselves under the sandy bottom at night. In temperate and subtropical wrasses, low temperature influences emergence from the sandy bottom in the morning, and induces a hibernation-like state in winter. We cloned and characterized the prohormone complementary DNAs (cDNAs) of arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT) in a temperate wrasse (Halichoeres tenuispinis) and examined the effects of day/night and temperature on their expression in the diencephalon, because these neurohypophysial peptides are related to the sex behavior of wrasses. The full-length cDNAs of pro-AVT and pro-IT were 938 base pairs (154 amino acids) and 759 base pairs (156 amino acids) in length, respectively. Both pro-peptides contained a signal sequence followed by the respective hormones and neurophysin connected by a Gly-Lys-Arg bridge. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that pro-AVT mRNA expression was specifically observed in the diencephalon, whereas pro-IT mRNA expression was seen in the whole brain. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that the mRNA abundance of pro-AVT and pro-IT was higher at midday (zeitgeber time 6; ZT6) than at midnight (ZT18) under 12 h light and 12 h darkness (LD 12:12) conditions, but not under constant light. Intraperitoneal injection of melatonin decreased the mRNA abundance of pro-AVT, but not of pro-IT. When fish were reared under LD 12:12 conditions at 25, 20, and 15 °C, day high and night low mRNA expressions of pro-AVT and pro-IT were maintained. A field survey revealed seasonal variation in the number of swimming fish at observatory sites; many fish emerged from the sandy bottom in summer, but not in winter, suggesting a hibernation-like state under the sandy bottom under low temperature conditions. We conclude that the day-night fluctuation of pro-AVT and pro-IT mRNA abundance in the brain is not affected by temperature and repeated under the sandy bottom in winter.

Effects of Photoperiod Manipulation on Gonadal Activity of the Damselfish, Chromis notata.

This study investigated the effect of different photoperiods (14L: 10D, 12L:12D and 10L:14D) on the gonadal development and GtH mRNA expression in the pituitary of damselfish. The results showed that gonadosomatic index (GSI) was significantly lower in shot photoperiod (10L:14D), in comparison with other photoperiodic group during the spawning season. After 60 days treatment, histological analysis of gonad tissue showed that the gonad of 10L:14D and 12L: 12D treatment groups were resting phase with spermatogonia and perinucleolus stage oocytes but the gonad of 14L:10D treatment group was still ripe phase with spermatozoa and mature stage oocyte. The FSHß and LHß mRNA expression in pituitary drastically decreased shot photoperiod treatment from July (spawning period). These results suggest that photoperiod is considered to be the most effective environmental factor in controlling the reproductive cycle of damselfish.

Importance of sandy bottoms in coral reefs to the oscillation of daily rhythms in the tropical wrasse Halichoeres trimaculatus.

Most wrasse species swim during the day and bury themselves in the sandy bottoms of shallow reefs at night. This study aimed to evaluate the importance of sandy bottoms to the day-active/night-inactive rhythmicity of the tropical wrasse Halichoeres trimaculatus. Actogram analysis revealed that fish were active during the photophase and inactive during the scotophase in aquariums with both sandy and bare bottoms. When fish were kept in aquariums with bare bottoms, rhythmicity was maintained under constant dark conditions (DD) but became obscured under constant light conditions (LL), suggesting that a day-active/night-inactive rhythmicity is regulated by the circadian system. Robust fluctuations in Period1 (wPer1) and Period2 (wPer2) expression were observed in the pectoral fin tissue under light-dark conditions (LD). Similar fluctuations in wPer1 expression persisted under DD. When fish were kept under LD conditions for 7 days and then DD for 20 days, the emergence of fish from the sandy bottom was delayed gradually. At the same time, the peak time of wPer1 expression under DD was retarded from 06:00 to 10:00. Although wPer2 expression was dampened under DD, it increased after exposing fish to light. These results suggest that wPer1 and wPer2 are differentially involved in the day-active/night-inactive rhythmicity, and that blocking light with a sandy bed at night and exposing fish to light during emergence in the morning play important roles in maintaining consistent activities in wrasse species.

A variation in recurrence patterns of papillary thyroid cancer with disease progression: A long-term follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Studies effectively examining temporal patterns of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) recurrence are currently lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine sites of PTC recurrence, interval from initial treatment to recurrence, and changing patterns of recurrence during long-term follow-up. METHODS: Records of 134 patients with PTC recurrence were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The most common site of initial recurrence was the lateral neck. In 6.7% of patients, distant metastases occurred as initial recurrences. In 74%, recurrences occurred within the first 5 years of surgery, whereas in 5.2%, and 1.5%, recurrences occurred between 10 to 20 years and after 20 years of surgery, respectively. Mean time to recurrence and distant metastasis was 48.2 months and 92.5 months, respectively. Male sex (p = .002), size (p < .001), N classification (p < .001), and recurrence frequency (p = .049) were prognostic factors for distant recurrence. CONCLUSION: Men with PTC tumors larger than 2 cm, lateral neck node metastasis, and multiple local recurrences should be scrutinized for distant metastasis even after 10 years. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 767-771, 2017.

Correlation of Developmental Deformity with Calcium, Phosphorus, or Estradiol-17ß Levels in Reared Red Spotted Grouper, Epinephelus akaara Juveniles.

Skeletal deformities are significant problems that affect the growth and commercial value of fish reared in hatcheries. However, studies of bone metabolic process related to skeletal deformities are limited. We investigated the potential correlation between bone deformities and plasma calcium, phosphorus, and estradiol-17ß levels in reared red spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara) juveniles. We collected E. akaara frys from private farms at 110, 140, 180 and 300 days after hatching (DAH), and classified the normal and deformed fish by observing their external shape and inner frame by soft X-ray. We also analyzed the calcium, phosphorous, and estradiol-17ß levels in their plasma. A comparison between normal and deformed fish, indicated that calcium and estradiol-17ß levels were higher in deformed fish than in the normal at 180 and 300 DAH. The level of phosphorus was also higher in deformed individuals than in normal fish, but only at 300 DAH. These results suggest that skeletal deformities are associated with increases in plasma calcium, phosphorus, and estradiol-17ß levels.

Cathepsin B & D and the Survival of Early Embryos in Red Spotted Grouper, Ephinephelus akaara.

Survival of embryos largely depends on yolk processing during early development. Proteolytic enzymes, cathepsin B & D (ctsb & ctsd) are known to have some important roles in yolk processing of various fish species. Mature female red spotted groupers were injected with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) to induce ovulation. The fertilized eggs and embryos were sampled at 0, 4 and 24 HPF (hours post fertilization). Survivals of each groups of embryos were checked at 24 and 48 HPH (hours post hatching). Transcripts of ctsb & ctsd showed the highest level at 0 HPF and relatively high at 4 HPF, but greatly decreased at 24 HPF. In bad egg quality group (BE, embryos survived until 24 HPH), transcript level of ctsb at 4 HPF were significantly lower than the transcript level at the same stage in good egg quality group (GE, embryos survived until 48 HPH) while no significant change of ctsb transcript level was observed at 0 or 24 HPF between BE and GE. Transcript level of ctsd was decreased at 24 HPF, but the difference was not as strong as the case of ctsb transcript. These results suggest that maternal ctsb transcript rather than ctsd transcript is likely to be involved in egg quality resulting in the difference of survival rate of embryos at early developmental period in this species.

The complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic position of the Endangered red-spotted grouper Epinephelus akaara (Perciformes, Serranidae) collected in South Korea.

We determined complete nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial genome of two individuals of the Red-spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara (Perciformes, Serranidae), caught in South Korea. The mitochondrial genome had 16,795 base pairs (bp) and 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and a noncoding control region. The two mt genomes were highly homologous (99.71% similarity). The two mt genomes of E. akaara analyzed in this study were found in Clade I with those of E. awoara, E. fasciatomaculosus, E. sexfasciatus, E. diacanthus, E. sticus, and E. morio. Here, we reported the complete mt genome sequence of E. akaara, suggesting that this may use in phylogenetic studies of Epinephelus.

Is body mass index relevant to prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma? A clinicopathological cohort study.

PURPOSE: Obesity appears to be related to papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in the observational studies, although its relationship concerning the PTC prognosis has not been established. We investigated the association between body mass index (BMI) and the prognosis of PTC. METHODS: The WHO BMI classification was used to stratify the degree of obesity. The final outcome was disease status, including recurrence and persistence, of 783 PTC patients. We reviewed patients' BMI, disease status, and other prognostic factors retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean BMI was 24.2 kg/m2. When stratified according to the WHO BMI classification, 21 were Underweight, 482 were Normal, 232 were Overweight, and 48 were Obese. We divided patients into two groups: <25.0 kg/m2 (n = 503) vs. ≥25.0 kg/m2 (n = 280). The BMI ≥25.0 group was older and more likely to be male in a multivariate analysis (p < 0.001). For those with BMI <25.0 and ≥25.0, recurrence occurred in 3.0 and 2.1 % (p = 0.486), persistence in 7.2 and 5.1 % (p = 0.265), and either recurrence or persistence in 9.9 and 7.1 %, respectively (p = 0.189). A multivariate analysis revealed that older age and male gender in Overweight vs. Normal, older age in Obese vs. Normal, and advanced T stage in Normal vs. Underweight were statistically significant prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in the prognosis according to BMI in PTC patients. However, old age, male gender, and advanced T-stage patients were found more frequently in the higher BMI group than in the lower BMI group.

Digestive Physiological Characteristics of the Gobiidae: - Characteristics of CCK-producing Cells and Mucus-secreting Goblet Cells of Stomach Fish and Stomachless Fish.

In this study, we investigated the characteristics of CCK-producing cells and mucus-secreting goblet cells with respect to stomach fish and stomachless fish of the Gobiidae in order to provide a basis for understanding the digestive physiology. Hairychin goby (Sagamia geneionema), which is stomachless fish, the numbers of mucus-secreting goblet cells is highest in the posterior intestine portion (P<0.05), while CCK-producing cells are scattered throughout the intestine. Gluttonous goby (Chasmichthys gulosus), which is stomach fish, mucus-secreting goblet cells are most abundant in the mid intestine portion (P<0.05), whereas CCK-producing cells are observed only in the anterior and mid intestine portion. Trident goby (Tridentiger obscurus) which is stomach fish, mucus-secreting goblet cells were most abundant in the mid intestine portion (P<0.05). CCK-producing cells are found in the anterior and mid intestine portion. Giurine goby, Rhinogobius giurinus which is also stomach fish, the largest number of mucus-secreting goblet cells showed in anterior intestine portion except for esophagus (P<0.05). CCK-producing cells are present only in the anterior and mid intestine portion. In S. geneionema, digestive action occurs in the posterior intestine portion to protect and functions to activate digestion. In contrast, in C. gulosus, T. obscurus and R. giurinus, their digestive action occurs in the anterior and mid intestine portion to protect and functions to activate digestion. Further studies of the modes of food ingestion by these fish, the contents of their digestive tracts, and the staining characteristics of the goblet cells need to be carried out.