Arterio‐venous anastomoses in the gills of Australian short‐finned eel, Anguilla australis

Scanning electron microscopical examination of corrosion casts and critical point dried tissue of the gills of Anguilla australis showed that arterio‐venous anastomoses were present in both the afferent and efferent components of the gill vasculature. A morphometric distinction was made between anastomoses and capillaries within the gills. The origins of arteriovenous anastomoses from the filament arteries were bordered by specialized endothelial cells. The possible function of arterio‐venous anastomoses and the specialized endothelial cells is discussed.