THE EYE OF THE BOTTLE-NOSED-DOLPHIN (TURSIOPS-TRUNCATUS) EVALUATED BYB-MODE ULTRASONOGRAPHY

The B mode ultrasonographic images of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops tru ncatus) eyes from cadavers and live animals were measured and compared with physical measurements of cadaver eyes. The average sonographic d iameters of the cadaver eyes were 2.34 cm x 2.0 cm (cranial-caudal x d orsal-ventral) with an internal circumference of 7.11 cm. Physical mea surements of these diameters were not significantly different (2.51 cm x 2.2 cm). Ultrasound measurements of cadaver eye tunic thickness wer e significantly larger than physical measurements of the same eyes. In Live dolphins, eye diameters measured sonographically were not signif icantly different (2.55 cm x 2.32 cm) than either ultrasound or physic al measurements. The optical axis diameter was 1.80 cm, and the circum ference was 7.30 cm in live dolphins. Comparisons of circumference sho wed no significant difference between cadaver and live dolphin eye mea surements. B mode ultrasonographic ocular morphometry may be useful on ce baseline values have been established.