Types II and IX collagen are traditionally considered cartilage collagens; however, within the inner ear, types II and IX collagen have a more diverse distribution. In the adult gerbil, type II collagen is the major fibrillar component. In the otic capsule it is present surrounding the osteocytes embedded and branching in the periosteal layer, in the cartilaginous rests of the enchondral layer, and in the endosteal layer bordering the membranous labyrinth. In the regions of the sensory cells, type II collagen is found in the osseous spiral lamina, the connective tissue of the spiral limbus, the subepithelial tissue of the maculae in the vestibule and the cristae in the ampullae, and in the spiral ligament. It is present in the non-cartilaginous and acellular structures of the tectorial membrane over the cochlear hair cells and the vestibular membrane lining the semicircular canals. Type IX collagen, when present, in all cases co-localizes with type II collagen but is found in more limited regions. It is found only in the cartilaginous rests of the enchondral bone, the tectorial membrane and the vestibular membrane. Type V-like collagen, a connective tissue collagen, is found to have a complementary localization to types II and IX collagen within the interstitial bone of the otic capsule, the osseous spiral lamina and the tectorial membrane, but it is absent from the vestibular membrane. This report is the first documenting the co-localization of types II and IX collagen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)