title: Development of embryonic gill vasculature in the yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis.
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.
authors.affiliation: Nova Southeastern University, Oceanographic Center, Dania Beach, Florida 33004, USA.
authors.forename: Bethany L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Basten
authors.forename: Robin L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: Alois
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lametschwandtner
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Spieler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000196:embryology; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000196:embryology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016319:Corrosion Casting; D005880:Gills / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009024:Morphogenesis; D012860:Skates, Fish / Q000196:embryology*