ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the form and function of elasmobranch peripheral blood cells. It provides an overview, including images, of the cell types found across several families of sharks and compares them to those of skates and rays. The selected species in this chapter represent those commonly found in public aquaria and/or research laboratories. Although blood cells have been studied previously by multiple authors, the result has been a variety of naming schemes that can hinder scientific communication regarding the functions of these cells. The primary goal of this chapter is to provide a standardized nomenclature for elasmobranch blood cells that is supported by color micrographs of each cell type, with emphasis on the eosinophilic granulocytes, which are the most common source of confusion. As such, the information in this chapter should provide sufficient details to identify cell types in many species. We hope it will serve as a guide for interpreting previous reports on elasmobranch hematology and provide a single nomenclature strategy for future publications.
