History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

.TotalCarcharias. FISHES. CHONDROPT. 167a little convex on the fore-edge, and subangularly concave on the hind-edge.Tongue broad and short. Pectorals large ventrals ; elongated, the two sidesnearly parallel This species has long been confounded, by the northern naturalists,with the Carcharias vulgaris of lower latitudes, under the name Squaluscarcharias. Mr Scoresby, in his valuable work on the " Arctic Regions,"misled by having observed a parasitic entomoda attached to the eye, which heregarded as an appendage in organical connection, concluded, under the influenceof this mistake, that the Greenland shark had not been previously described.Cuvier first instituted the genus for the reception of the SqualusAmericanus of Gmelin (Le Squale Liche of Lacepede, the S. Nicaeensis of Risso),and the S. Carcharias of Gunner and Fabricius. The figure by Bloch,differs from the Greenland shark, in the shape of the tail ;and from the truecarcharias still more, in the presence of the temporal orifices. It was probablyintended to represent the former species. I am in possession of the jawsof an individual of the Greenland shark, presented to me by the late Mr Simmonds,and which was caught, in his presence, in the Pentland Frith, in 1803.Mr Edmonston witnessed one 13^ feet long, which was found dead at EurraFirth, Unst, in July 1824.Gen. X. CARCHARIAS.— Last of the branchialopeningsabove the pectorals. Snout depressed; the nostrils in themiddle, below.12. C. vulgaris.— Teeth triangular, with straight crenulatedcutting edges.Canis Carcharias, Will. Ich. 47. Sibb, Fife, 118 White Shark, Perm.Brit. Zool. iii. 100. Risso, Ich. Nice, 25—Rare in the British Seas.Length about 30 feet. Brownish above, white below, with two rows ofblack pores on the sides. Eyes round, white, with a black pupil. Pectoralslarge, triangular. The first dorsal is rounded ; the second imbedded in a cavity.Upper lobe of the tail-fin twice as long as the lower.—This species isrecorded by Willoughby, Sibbald, and Pennant, without details respecting theseason or place of appearance on our shores. Grew " says, They are foundsometimes upon our coast, near Cornwall." Rarities, p. 90.13. C. glaucus.— Dorsal and ventral ridge indented at thesetting on of the tail.Galeus glaucus, Will. Ich. 49— Squalus fossula triangulariin extremo dorso,foraminibus nullis ad ocidos, Art. Ich. syn. 98.— S. glaucus,— Linn.Syst. i. 401. Blue Shark, Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 109. Watson, Phil.Trans. 1778, p. 789, tab. xii.—Not uncommon.Length about feet. Back blue; belly white. Body lengthened ; snoutpointed. Teeth triangular, finely serrated. Pectorals pointed, Anal andsecond dorsal fins opposite. Upper lobe of the tail produced This speciesvisits the coast of Cornwall during the pilchard season.14. C. Vidpes. Thresher.— Tail nearly equal in length tothe body.9— Vulpes marina, Will. Ich. 54. Sibb. Fife, 1 1 Vulpecula, Borl. Corn.205.— Long-tailed Shark, Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 110 Found occasionallyon the coast.length about 1 3, of the tail about G feet the ;upper lobe of the latterextending nearly in a straight line. Body round, short, skin grey on theback, white on the belly, and smooth. Nose short, pointed. Eyes large, overthe corners of the mouth. Teeth triangular. Borlase " says, This shark