Development of Embryonic Gill Vasculature in the Yellow Stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis

Authors

Bethany L. Basten, Nova Southeastern University
Robin L. Sherman, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Alois Lametschwandtner, Universität Salzburg - Austria
Richard E. Spieler, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

The Anatomical Record

ISSN

1932-8486

Publication Date

8-2011

Keywords

Vascular Corrosion Cast, Elasmobranch, Stingray, Gill, Development, Urobatis

Abstract

Corrosion casting was utilized to examine the development of gill vasculature in embryonic yellow stingrays, Urobatis jamaicensis (formerly Urolophus jamaicensis). The most marked changes in vascular configuration of the gills occur in the earliest castable stages of gestation. These changes included development of afferent external gill filament vessels and progression from paired dorsal aortae to a single fused dorsal aorta. Internal gill vasculature was found to nearly match that of an adult by the time the external gill filaments had fully regressed and yolk sac had been exhausted (>47 mm disc width). Examination of embryo casts also revealed characteristics of the branchial vasculature not previously reported in adult specimens. These include the presence of pre-lamellar sphincters, intertrematic branches, afferent distributing arteries, which supply blood to many afferent filament arteries resulting in greater interconnection of the filaments, and observation that the afferent branchial artery in the first hemibranch supplies blood directly to afferent filament arteries on the dorsal half of this arch.

DOI

10.1002/ar.21430

Volume

294

Issue

8

First Page

1423

Last Page

1432

Comments

©2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

NSUWorks Citation

Bethany L. Basten, Robin L. Sherman, Alois Lametschwandtner, and Richard E. Spieler. 2011. Development of Embryonic Gill Vasculature in the Yellow Stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis .The Anatomical Record , (8) : 1423 -1432. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/148.