Ventricle morphology in pelagic elasmobranch fishes.

Ventricle weights of the warm-bodied great white shark, Atlantic shortfin mako, and the common thresher shark (the latter presumed to be warm-bodied) are similar to those of ectothermic blue sharks, sandbar sharks, dusky sharks, tiger sharks and scalloped hammerhead sharks. Ventricle muscularity, as estimated by the ratio of cortical to spongy layer thickness, is almost twice as great in the former three species than in the latter elasmobranchs. Measurements of ventricular volumes suggest that the ventricles of the great white, Atlantic shortfin mako and common thresher sharks are better adapted to respond to demands for increases in cardiac output via increased heartbeat frequency in comparison with ectothermic species of shark.