The influence of triploidization on histological characteristics of retina, trunk kidney, liver and midgut tissue, and cell cycle of tail fin and gill tissue in far eastern catfish, Silurus asotus were analyzed. In the infertile triploid fish, the nucleus and/or cell size of secondary proximal tubule cells of trunk kidney, hepatocyte and midgut epithelium are much larger than those of the corresponding cells in the diploid fish (P<0.05). However, triploid tissue showed fewer number of outer nuclear layer in retina and nuclei in secondary proximal tubule of trunk kidney than those for diploid tissue. The mean percentages of the Gl-, the S- and the G2+M-phase fractions were 92.5%, 3.2% and 4.3% in tail fin tissue of diploid, and 93.4%, 2.6% and 4.0% in those of triploid, respectively. There were no significant differences in the percentages of each cell cycle fraction between diploid and triploid. The mean percentages of each phase fractions were 75.1%, 11.1% and 13.8% in gill tissue of diploid and 85.2%, 8.9% and 5.9% in those of triploid, respectively. The differences of cell cycle between tail fin tissue and gill tissue were statistically significant in diploid and triploid (P<0.05). Also, the differences between diploid and triploid were statistically significant in tail fin tissue and gill tissue (P<0.05). Cyclin D1 and cyclin E expressions were not significantly difference between gill tissue and tail fin tissue, and protein expressions of induced triploid were higher than those of diploid. Results from this study suggest that some characteristics in the triploid exhibiting larger cell and nucleus size with fewer number of cell than diploid can be used as an indicator in the identification of triploidization and ploidy level in far eastern catfish.

• Hyun Woo Gil(Division of Marine Bioscience, College of Ocean Science and Technology, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan 49112, Korea)
• Tae Ho Lee(Division of Marine Bioscience, College of Ocean Science and Technology, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan 49112, Korea)
• Ho Jae Han(College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute of Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea)
• In-Seok Park(Division of Marine Bioscience, College of Ocean Science and Technology, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan 49112, Korea)