Blood Cell Morphology of Harbor Seals Phoca vitulina Linnaeus, 1758 from the Commander Islands

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Abstract

The blood cells of common (harbor) seals, Phoca vitulina L. 1758, from the Commander Islands population are characterized in detail for the first time. Data on composition, size and ratio of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets in the peripheral blood of immature and mature seals are given. A micrograph library for all types of peripheral blood cells of harbor seal is presented. The blood cells morphology of this seal generally corresponds to that of other pinniped species; however, neutrophils with Dohle bodies, reactive lymphocytes, and hypersegmented neutrophils were found in blood smears. An increased number of eosinophils (10–25%) were observed in the leukocyte formula of all seals examined. Mature seals had higher numbers of eosinophils (p = 0.04) and large lymphocytes (p = 0.005); immature seals had higher numbers of monocytes (p = 0.04) and Howell–Jolly bodies in erythrocytes (p = 0.03). Microfilariae and nucleated erythrocytes were found in blood smears of two mature seals.

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About the authors

P. V. Esipova

Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: xpolli@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7610-1826
Russian Federation, Vladivostok

M. A. Solovyeva

Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: xpolli@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6569-5996
Russian Federation, Moscow

V. V. Rozhnov

Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: xpolli@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2142-0763
Russian Federation, Moscow

E. G. Mamaev

Marakov Commander Islands National Park

Email: xpolli@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2911-010X
Russian Federation, Nikolskoe, Aleutian District, Kamchatka Krai

I. V. Suvorova

Mosquarium Center of Oceanography and Marine Biology

Email: xpolli@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8186-7092
Russian Federation, Moscow

V. A. Yachmen

Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: xpolli@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0008-4791-7410
Russian Federation, Vladivostok

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2. Fig. 1. Blood sampling from anthur (a), photo by Maria Solovieva; anthur after blood sampling (b), photo by Mikhail Vakurov.

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3. Fig. 2. Morphology of peripheral blood cells of wild individuals of anthurus. (a1) - mature erythrocytes; (a2) - erythrocyte with Howell-Jolly calf; (a3) - nuclear erythrocyte (metarubricite); (a4) - polychromatophilic erythrocyte; (b1) - segmented neutrophils; (b2) - hypersegmented neutrophil with Deleux's corpuscle; (b3) - segmented neutrophil; (b4) - hypersegmented neutrophil; (b5) - hypersegmented neutrophil with Deleux bodies; (c1)-(c3) - eosinophils; (d1), (d2) - basophils; (d1)-(d5) - monocytes with different number of vacuoles; (e1), (e2) - small lymphocytes; (e3)-(e5) - large lymphocytes; (g1)-(g5) - reactive lymphocytes; (h1) - platelets and macrothrombocyte; (h2) - giant platelet; (h3) - platelet clot; (h4) - myrofilaria.

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