ABSTRACT

Gross dissections have historically been vital for our understanding of the internal anatomy of elasmobranchs, and histological techniques have proven invaluable for microstructural analysis; however, these methodologies are highly invasive and thus inappropriate for anatomical investigations in vivo. Further, destructive techniques can typically distort the precise relative positions of tissue structures and are often impractical for the study of rare or valuable specimens. Bioimaging techniques, such as ultrasonography, endoscopy, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are unique in their ability to nonsurgically (and often non-invasively) acquire high-resolution, digital, three-dimensional (3D) data, sometimes in real time. These techniques facilitate highly accurate and efcient analysis and visualization of internal anatomy, although not all techniques are useful for in vivo examinations. Further, they allow for “digital dissection,” which greatly extends the capabilities of researchers to incorporate quantitative anatomical measurements of live specimens, rare samples, and museum collections into the study of organismal biology.