Abstract
A histological study was made to determine the identity of the animal which was struck by a jetfoil (rapid-transit boat) operating for the Sado Line in the Sea of Japan, on 31 October, 1994. The material examined, a hairless mass of red and white muscle, 193 g in weight, was found in the left intake pipe of the boat. Histological examination revealed pieces of bone, comprising compact and spongy components, between the muscle fibers and tendon. The bone, lamellar in nature, included many cavities containing osteocytes. A single type of muscle spindle, comprising 9 intrafusal fibers, in association with myelinated nerve bundles, was observed. These indicated that the animal struck by the jetfoil was a cetacean.
