Hematology of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Abstract

The hematology of six bottlenose dolphins, kept in an aquarium filled with simulated sea water, has been studied. Blood samples were easily collected from a branch of the brachial vessels. With the exceptions of the low total red cell count, larger mean corpuscular volume, and the high normal eosinophil count, the other hematological parameters are comparable to those of the common domestic animals.