The anatomy of the cervicothoracic arterial system in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with a surgical approach suitable for guided angiography

Abstract

Anatomical dissections on the cervicothoracic arterial system of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) have been carried out as a necessary stage preceding certain physiological investigations in this animal. It is essential to have access to large blood vessels in these investigations, and the lack of superficial blood vessels suitable for catheterization in this species has required that a surgical approach to deeper vessels be developed. We have described a surgical technique for exposure of the A. carotis externa and V. jugularis externa and have used this method to introduce angio-catheters into both of these vessels. By these means we have been able to carry out hemodynamic, blood chemistry, and angiographic studies with successful recovery of the animals. These investigations, anatomical dissections on normal animals, and studies of vinylite vascular casts have delineated many specialized features of the cervicothoracic vascular systems in the dolphin.

The extracranial arterial system in the heads of beaked whales, with implications on diving physiology and pathogenesis

“…On the right side, the basicranial rete artery arose first as a combined trunk with the cranial thyroid artery followed by the combined trunk of the ICA and occipital artery. This origin for the basicranial rete arteries is similar to that described by Galliano et al, () in the bottlenose dolphin and to that of the harbor porpoise whose basicranial rete arteries source from the omo‐occipital arteries (Slijper, ).…”

“…At the level of the occipital condyle, the occipital artery gives off caudally a robust branch that connects to the cervical rete and, therefore, likely supplies some of the blood to the epidural rete. This branch is likely homologous to the cervical retial branch of the omo‐occipital artery described by Galliano et al () in the bottlenose dolphin and bears striking similarity to the retial structure originating from the omo‐occipital artery as schematized by Slijper () for the harbor porpoise. Following the retial branch, the occipital artery bifurcates into a larger, more lateral artery and a smaller more medial artery.…”

Observations on the external morphology and vasculature of a fetal heart of the bowhead whale,Balaena mysticetus

“…Reports in the long-finned pilot whale Globicephala melas (Turner, 1868), short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus (De Kock, 1959), narwhal Monodon monoceros (Vogl, 1979), harbor porpoise Phocoena phocoena (Mackay, 1886;De Kock, 1959;Rowlatt and Gaskin, 1975), and bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (Galliano et al, 1966) have described two primary trunks (generally designated right and left innominates) of similar size and a smaller, independent left posterior thoracic artery. In the beluga, the pattern is similar except that the left posterior thoracic artery originates as a branch off the left innominate rather than being an independent vessel from the aortic arch (Watson and Young, 1880;Vogl, 1979).…”

Microanatomy of Retia Mirabilia of Bowhead Whale Foramen Magnum and Mandibular Foramen

“…along with large veins and venous sinuses, serve as anatomic specializations which can become engorged with blood during diving-related pressure changes. The retia mirabilia of cetaceans have been described for many years, but most eloquently in recent years by Vogl and Fisher [4][5][6]31) and Vogl et al (7) for two small whales, the narwhal and beluga whale, and by Galliano et al [ 19) and McFarland et al (32) for the dol phin. Ultrastructural studies on retia mirabilia of whales have been limited |6, 7] and have not previously been reported for the bowhead whale.…”