We observed two tongues of Pontoporia blainvillei (body length 98.5 and 171 cm, females) macro- and light microscopically. The Pontoporia's tongue is divided into two different parts: the front and the rear. The front part, the anterior one-third in the adult and the anterior one-fourth in the young, is nearly semicircular in outline having a completely smooth dorsum and a marginal free surface without an anterior free tip. The lateral free edges are scalloped in appearance but in the young many projections, about 3 mm long, can be seen at that position. The rear part continues from the front part at nearly the same level with irregular fissures and a remarkable longitudinal fissure present on the mid-line. But these features were unclear in the young. No trace of the sulcus terminalis and foramen caecum can be found on the tongue. Neither lingual papillae nor taste buds exist over the entire tongue. Many small pores are found on the dorsum from the mid-region of the front part to the base of the epiglottis. These pores also can be seen at the caudo-lateral free surface of the front part and on the continuing oral wall of the rear part. The pores are the orifices of the excretory canals of well developed salivary glands which are especially crowded at the rear part and are mucous in nature. Very scarce lymphatic nodules are observed in the lamina propria mucosae of the tongue and the neighboring part. Lingual tonsils can The tongue of Franciscana (La Plata Dolphin), Pontoporia blainvillei 85not be observed in Pontoporia. These findings obtained from our Pontoporia were compared with those of the other two kinds of Platanistidae (Platanista and Inia) we observed.
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