FISHERY BULLETIN VOL, 77. NO. 2 



Figure 22.— Gravid female blue shark. 



VENTRAL CROSS- SECTION LATERAL 



FlOURE 23.— Schematic views of the 

 oviducal gland in the blue shark 



I 0mm 



lOmm 



I mm 



nidamental or nidamentary gland and as the shell 

 gland. The term "nidamental" is inappropriate 

 since it is derived from the Latin "to nest" which is 

 not a trait of elasmobranchs. Since a functional 

 shell is produced in only a few species of shark, 



oviducal is a more accurate term for this speciali- 

 zation of the oviduct. 



A sagittal section of the oviducal gland reveals 

 the two major tissues (Figure 24), an anterior 

 albumen-secreting zone and a posterior shell- 



462 



