HISTOLOGY OF THE GROOVED VENTRAL POUCH OF THE MINKE-WHALE, BALAENOPTERA-ACUTOROSTRATA, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE OCCURRENCE OF LAMELLATED CORPUSCLES

The rorquals, Balaenopteridae, catch their food by swimming into a con centration of krill or schooling fish, taking up prey-laden water, and then filtering it with their fringed baleen. An anatomical feature ad apted to this feeding strategy is the expansible buccal cavity. The am ount of expansion depends upon the elasticity of the grooved ventral p ouch forming the wall of the buccal cavity. This wall consists, in add ition to the fat tissue, of thick layers of elastic connective tissue and muscle. In these layers, lamellated corpuscles were found close to the grooves. These sense organs may play a role in the timing of mout h closure during feeding.