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Pinniped splenic volumes.

P J Ponganis¹, G L Kooyman, D Sartoris

¹Physiological Research Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093.

The American Journal of Physiology

|February 1, 1992

Summary

Pinniped spleens are large, storing many red blood cells. This study measured spleen size in seals and sea lions, finding volumes supporting the concept of splenic erythrocyte storage in these marine mammals.

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Area of Science:

Marine biology
Comparative anatomy
Physiology

Background:

Pinnipeds, including seals and sea lions, are marine mammals with unique physiological adaptations.
The spleen is known to store red blood cells in many mammals, potentially aiding in oxygen transport during dives.
Understanding splenic volume in pinnipeds can provide insights into their diving physiology and oxygen storage capacity.

Purpose of the Study:

To measure splenic volume in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and California sea lions (Zalophus californianus).
To compare measured splenic volumes to body mass and to reported values in other mammals.
To evaluate the findings in the context of the pinniped splenic erythrocyte storage concept.

Main Methods:

Computerized axial tomography (CT) was used to determine splenic volume.
Measurements were taken from three harbor seals and two California sea lions.
Splenic volume was calculated as a percentage of body mass.

Main Results:

Splenic volumes ranged from 228 to 679 ml.
These volumes represented 0.8-3.0% of calculated body mass.
The measured splenic volumes were found to be in the upper range of reported mammalian splenic volumes relative to body mass.

Conclusions:

The large splenic volumes observed in harbor seals and California sea lions support the hypothesis of significant splenic erythrocyte storage.
This finding reinforces the concept that pinnipeds utilize their spleen as a reservoir for oxygen-carrying red blood cells.
Further research may explore the functional implications of splenic erythrocyte storage during diving events in these marine mammals.

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