General descriptions of the dermis structure of a juvenile whale shark Rhincodon typus from the Gulf of California.

The aim of this study is to provide preliminary observations on the microanatomy of Rhincodon typus skin by means of histology and electron microscopy analyses. Skin biopsies were obtained from a deceased juvenile male shark (548 cm total length) stranded in La Paz, Mexico during February 2018. Our results evidenced the basic structure of the dermal denticles in the epidermis of the trunk of the shark, as well as the composition of the connective tissue in the hypodermis. Histological images of the hypodermis showed a high concentration of collagen fibres, formed by a large number of fine and wavy fibres of compact shape and little intercellular substance. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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