SHERBURNE: BLOOD CELLS OF CENTROSCYMNUS COELOLEPIS 



Table 1. — Blood cell measurements in microns of a Portuguese shark, the mean ± standard deviation and 



range in parentheses. 



reported for the Chondriehthyes, including the 

 rays, which characteristically possess larger 

 cells than sharks. A comparison of some of the 

 largest recorded erythrocyte dimensions for 

 the Chondriehthyes (Altman and Dittmer, 1961) 

 with the Portuguese shark is listed below. 



Species 



Ervihrocvw dimensions 

 (Dry films) 



Ponuguese shark, Centroscymnus coelolepis 32.4 X 23.6 m 

 Eleclric ray. Torpedo nobilianu 29.8 X 23.1 M 



Little skaie, Raju erinacea 24.3 X 13.9 M 



Spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias 12.1 X 15.2 M 



Wammeihead shark, Sphy ma zygaena 15.2 X 11.2M 



Immature Erythrocytes 



One thousand erythrocytes were counted on 

 the slide and 8.6% of the cells were immature. 

 A few erythroblasts were seen, and measure- 

 ments of a typical one are listed in Table 1. 

 Immature erythrocytes are easily distinguished 

 from the mature cells by their larger nucleus 

 and smaller cytosome (Figure 3). 



Heterophils 



Heterophils stained clearly to show purplish 

 nuclear material and eosinophilic rods. The 



10 Microns 

 I 1 



Figure 3. — Mature erythrocyte on the left, immature 

 erythrocyte on the right. 



heterophils are quite round and similar in 

 size (Figure 4). 



Lymphocytes 



Lymphocytes stained well with the purplish 

 nucleus taking up most of the cell space. The 

 cytoplasm stains a medium to deep blue and 

 often shows blebs extending from the cell wall 

 (Figure 5). 



437 



