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Morphological characterization of the digestive tube of hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) hatchlings

Part of: Micrographia Collection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2022

Radan Elvis Matias de Oliveira Open the ORCID record for Radan Elvis Matias de Oliveira [Opens in a new window] ,
Fernanda Loffler Niemeyer Attademo ,
Ana Caroline Freitas Caetano de Sousa Open the ORCID record for Ana Caroline Freitas Caetano de Sousa [Opens in a new window] ,
João Vitor de Oliveira Gurgel ,
Marcela dos Santos Magalhães ,
Carlos Eduardo Bezerra de Moura ,
Ana Bernadete Lima Fragoso ,
Flávio José de Lima Silva  and
Moacir Franco de Oliveira
Radan Elvis Matias de Oliveira*
Affiliation:
Postgraduate Program in Animal Science, Federal University of the Semi-Arid Region, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte 59625-900, Brazil Center for Environmental Studies and Monitoring – CEMAM, Areia Branca, Rio Grande do Norte 59655-000, Brazil. Cetáceos da Costa Branca Project, University of the State of Rio Grande do Norte – PCCB-UERN, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte 59610-210, Brazil
Fernanda Loffler Niemeyer Attademo
Affiliation:
Center for Environmental Studies and Monitoring – CEMAM, Areia Branca, Rio Grande do Norte 59655-000, Brazil.
Ana Caroline Freitas Caetano de Sousa
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of the Semi-Arid Region, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte 59625-900, Brazil
João Vitor de Oliveira Gurgel
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of the Semi-Arid Region, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte 59625-900, Brazil
Marcela dos Santos Magalhães
Affiliation:
Department of Morphology, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas 69080-900, Brazil
Carlos Eduardo Bezerra de Moura
Affiliation:
Postgraduate Program in Animal Science, Federal University of the Semi-Arid Region, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte 59625-900, Brazil
Ana Bernadete Lima Fragoso
Affiliation:
Center for Environmental Studies and Monitoring – CEMAM, Areia Branca, Rio Grande do Norte 59655-000, Brazil. Cetáceos da Costa Branca Project, University of the State of Rio Grande do Norte – PCCB-UERN, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte 59610-210, Brazil
Flávio José de Lima Silva
Affiliation:
Center for Environmental Studies and Monitoring – CEMAM, Areia Branca, Rio Grande do Norte 59655-000, Brazil. Cetáceos da Costa Branca Project, University of the State of Rio Grande do Norte – PCCB-UERN, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte 59610-210, Brazil Doctoral Program in Development and Environment (PRODEMA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte 59064-741, Brazil
Moacir Franco de Oliveira
Affiliation:
Postgraduate Program in Animal Science, Federal University of the Semi-Arid Region, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte 59625-900, Brazil
*
*Corresponding author: Radan Elvis Matias de Oliveira, E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Morphological studies concerning the digestive system can further information on animal diets, thus aiding in the understanding of feeding behavior. Given the scarcity of information on sea turtle digestive system morphology, the aim of the present study was to describe the digestive tube (DT) morphology of Eretmochelys imbricata hatchlings to further understand the diet of these individuals in the wild. DT samples from 10 stillborn turtles (undefined sex) were analyzed at the macro and microscopic levels. The esophagus, stomach, small intestine (SI), and large intestine (LI) are described. Histologically, the DT is formed by four tunics, the mucosa, submucosa, muscular, and adventitia or serosa. The esophagus is lined by keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, while the remainder of the DT is lined by a simple columnar epithelium. The esophagus mucosa is marked by conical, pointed papillae. The stomach comprises three regions, the cardiac, fundic, and pyloric and is covered by neutral mucous granular cells. The intestinal mucosa presents absorptive cells with microvilli, neutral and acidic goblet cells, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. The SI is significantly longer than the LI (p value = 0.006841). These morphological findings are strong indications of adaptations to a carnivorous diet in this hawksbill turtle age group.

Keywords

Cheloniidaehistochemistrymorphologymorphophysiologyscanning electron microscopyTestudines
Type
Micrographia
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 28 , Issue 6 , December 2022 , pp. 2138 - 2149
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Microscopy Society of America

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