16. SQUATINID^E SQUATINA. 35 



SUPER-FAMILY SQUATINOIDBA. 



(The Squatitioid Sharks.) 

 FAMILY XVI. SQUATINID^E. 



A 



(The Angel Sharks.) 



Ray-like sharks. Body depressed and flat; mouth anterior; teeth 

 conical, pointed, distant; pectoral fins very large, expanded in the plane 

 of the body, but free from it, being deeply notched at the base ; ventral 

 fins very large ; two small subequal dorsal fins behind the ventrals ; no 

 anal fin ; caudal fin small ; gill-openings wide, subinferior, partly covered 

 by the base of the pectoral ; spiracles wide, crescent-shaped ; behind the 

 eyes ; nostrils on the front margin of the snout, with skinny flaps. A 

 single genus, with perhaps but one species. Sharks of singular appear- 

 ance, inhabiting most seas. (Rhinidw Giinther, viii, 430.) 



33. SQUATI1VA Dnme'ril, 1806. 

 Angel Sharks. 



(Ehina Klein. ) 



(Aldrovandi, Duine~ril, Zool. Anal. 1806, : type Squaliis squutlna L. Squatina an- 

 gel us Duni.) 



The characters of the genus are included above. (Squatina, the Latin 

 name of S. angelus, from squatus, skate.) 



43. S. angelus Dnme'ril. A ngel-fwh ; Monk-fish; Angel Shark. 



Bluish ash-gray above, much blotched and speckled ; beneath white ; 

 caudal fin short triangular, lower lobe longest ; dorsal fins short and; 

 high ; skin rough, with small stiff prickles, largest along the middle 

 line of the back ; eyes small. A small shark, with expanded pectorals, 

 like a ray, found in most warm seas, not very common on our coasts. 

 Our species has been generally considered as distinct from the Euro- 

 pean, under the name S. dumerili, but without evident reason. A spe- 

 cies considered by Dr. Giinther to be identical with Squatina angehis 

 also occurs on our Pacific coast. 



(Squalus squatina L. Syst. Nat.: Squatina angelus Dumeril, Zool. Anal. 10:2: Squalus 

 dumenll Le SINMU-, Journ. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. i, 225: Ehina squatina Giinther, viii, 430: 

 iwi calif ornica Ayres, Proc. Cal. Ac. Nat. Sci. 1859, 29.) 



