Skate Dissection (Part 1. External Anatomy & Thoracic Cavity) || A Mermaid's Purse [EDU]

[Check out Part. 2 of our Skate Dissection Video]
Link:    • Skate Dissection (Part 2. Abdominal Cavity...  

What’s the difference between skates and rays? Find out as you learn how to dissect a skate in this video, which also covers its external and internal anatomy and physiology. In this simple dissection of a skate, you’ll learn various parts of its anatomy, what exactly a ‘mermaid purse’ is, and why a skate’s liver floats in water.

Skates are one of the most underrated animals among the cartilaginous fishes, often overshadowed by their flashier cousins– rays and sharks. However, did you know that skates have many unique features neither rays nor sharks possess, such as their distinctive method of laying eggs within rectangular leathery sacs? In this video, you’ll learn general information about skates, which will be tied into their anatomical structures and physiological importance.

This dissection lab is for anyone who is curious about skate anatomy, wants to cover skate anatomy for a zoology course, missed the skate dissection during biology class, or just wondered, “How are skates different from rays?”. The video will teach you how to dissect a skate step by step, and review the external and internal anatomy of the skate.

In this video, we’ll cover the following structures:
Eyes
Spiracles
Gill slits
Mouth
Teeth
Nostrils
Rostrum (snout)
Skin
Denticles
Pectoral fins
Pelvic fins
Tail
Spike
Cloaca
Claspers [mentioned]
Heart
Gills
Gill filaments
Gill rakers
Sinus venosus
Conus arteriosus
Peritoneum
Liver
Gallbladder
Cardiac stomach
Pyloric stomach
Intestine
Pyloric valve
Spiral valve
Rectum
Spleen
Pancreas
Rectal gland
Rugae
Ovary
Fallopian tube
Uterus
Egg sac
Kidneys
Cerebral hemispheres
Olfactory nerves
Optic lobe
Cerebellum

If you want to learn more about skate anatomy, here’s a link to a website with more detailed information, as well as diagrams:
https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-esp...

If you have any questions regarding skate anatomy, dissection methodology, or general biology, feel free to leave a comment. We'll try our best to reply.

Website: https://www.oh-worm.com

Links to images used in video:
https://theconversation.com/shark-stu...
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/dis...
http://www.cardio-research.com/heart-...
https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/ani...