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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

RNA In situ Hybridization in Whole Mount Embryos and Cell Histology Adapted for Marine Elasmobranchs
Published on: April 12, 2013
Rectal gland of freshwater stingrays, potamotrygon spp. (Chondrichthyes:potamotrygonidae)
T B Thorson1, R M Wotton, T A Georgi
1School of Life Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588.
Abstract:
1. Contrary to some reports, a rectal gland is present in strictly freshwater stingrays of South American rivers (Potamotrygon spp.). 2. The gland has the location and histological features of the salt-secreting rectal gland of marine elasmobranchs, but is much reduced in size and number of tubules. 3. Its residual function, if any, is unknown. 4. The rectal gland is associated with prominent myeloid lobes, here designated as rectomyeloid bodies. 5. In the absence of potamotrygonid fossils, the atrophied rectal gland is strong evidence of marine ancestry for the freshwater rays. 6. Both the reduced gland and the loss of urea retention in potamotrygonids are indicative of a long history of freshwater adaptation.
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