Journal de la santé animale et des sciences du comportement

Preliminary Investigation of the Ocular Macroscopic Structure of a Bowmouth Guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma Bloch & Schneider 1801)

Abstract

Nalinee Tuntivanich and Ornsiri Cheunsuang*

The present study is a preliminary investigation of the macroscopic structure of the eye and its adnexa of a female two-year-old bowmouth guitarfish, Rhina ancylostoma Bloch & Schneider 1801, from which very limited information is available. We documented the characteristics of the cornea, the eyeball, the optic pedicle and the extraocular muscles. We also compared the sizes of the horizontal and vertical extraocular muscles and speculated that they were more similar to elasmobranch species that reside near the seafloor. The cornea of the guitarfish also resembled that of the elasmobranch in the ray family.