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Embryonic bicephaly in the blue shark, Prionace glauca, from the Mexican Pacific Ocean

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2011

Felipe Galván-Magaña ,
Ofelia Escobar-Sánchez  and
Maribel Carrera-Fernández
Felipe Galván-Magaña*
Affiliation:
Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Avenida IPN s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, La Paz, BCS, CP 23096, Mexico
Ofelia Escobar-Sánchez
Affiliation:
Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Avenida IPN s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, La Paz, BCS, CP 23096, Mexico
Maribel Carrera-Fernández
Affiliation:
Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Avenida IPN s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, La Paz, BCS, CP 23096, Mexico
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: F. Galván-Magaña, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Avenida IPN s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, La Paz, Baja California Sur, CP 23096, Mexico email: galvan.felipe@gmail.com
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Abstract

A case of bicephaly in embryos of the blue shark Prionace glauca in the Mexican Pacific Ocean is described. Malformed female shark embryos were found in pregnant females caught in the Gulf of California (Punta Arenas) and off the western coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico (San Lázaro). Abnormal sharks showed a symmetric bicephaly that could be caused by the high number of embryos found in the uterus of the blue shark, which is the most fecund species of shark in the world. The abnormality probably began during the embryonic development.

Keywords

bicephalyabnormalityPrionace glaucaMexico
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 4 , December 2011 , e1
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2011

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