The peripheral olfactory organ in the Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801)
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1
University of Genova, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Science (DISTAV), Italy
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2
CNR ISMAR GE, Italy
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3
Københavns Universitet, Marinbiologisk Sektion, Denmark
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4
Uit The Arctic University of Norway, Norway
The Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) is the largest predatory fish in Arctic waters. The socio-economic significance of Greenland shark is demonstrated by its impact on the fishing cultures in Greenland, Scandinavia and Iceland for centuries. The fundamental biology and ecological role of Greenland shark, on the other hand, is virtually unknown. Although knowledge of its life history is limited, increasing evidence indicates that the Greenland shark may undertake long-distance migrations and perform vertical movements from the surface to the deep sea. It is an omnivorous species feeding on carrion and a wide variety of pelagic and bottom-dwelling organisms ranging from invertebrates to mammals, and including active species such as fishes and seals. Accordingly, Greenland shark should be recognized as a top predator, with a strong potential to influence the trophic dynamics of the Arctic marine ecosystem. The sensory biology of Greenland shark is scarcely studied, and considering the importance of olfaction in chemoreception, feeding and other behavioral traits, we examined the architecture of the peripheral olfactory organ where olfactory cues are received from the environment – the olfactory rosette. The structural organization of the olfactory rosette, in terms of histological features of the sensory epithelium, number of primary lamellae and total sensory surface area, provides a first proxy of the olfactory capability of Greenland shark. Based on own results and published studies, the overall morphology of the olfactory rosette is viewed in context of the functional and trophic ecology among other elasmobranch species.
Acknowledgements
Research supported by the PNRA (Italian Programme for Antarctic Research, Project 2013/AZ.1.11) and TUNU-Programme lead by the UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Keywords:
Greenland shark,
Somniosus microcephalus,
Olfactory rosette,
Arctic Regions,
Arctic fish,
Arctic biodiversity
Conference:
XV European Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, 7 Sep - 11 Sep, 2015.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Physiology, Behavior and Toxicology
Citation:
Ferrando
S,
Gallus
L,
Ghigliotti
L,
Vacchi
M,
Nielsen
J,
Christiansen
JS and
Pisano
E
(2015). The peripheral olfactory organ in the Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801).
Front. Mar. Sci.
Conference Abstract:
XV European Congress of Ichthyology.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2015.03.00072
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Received:
12 Nov 2015;
Published Online:
12 Nov 2015.
*
Correspondence:
Prof. Eva Pisano, University of Genova, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Science (DISTAV), Genoa, Italy, pisano@unige.it