SPINAC1D.E. 315 



Family V SPINACIDJE. 



Spiracles present. Gill-openings narrow. A deep groove along either side 

 of the mouth. Two dorsal fins and no anal. 



This family is divisible into two, the Spinacid.^, wherein each dorsal fin is 

 preceded by a spine, and the Scymnid<e, which have no spines. But in accord- 

 ance with the plan heretofore adopted, I adhere to the nomenclature employed 

 in the National Collection. 



The British genera belonging to this family are as follows : 



A. Each dorsal fin is preceded by a spine. 



1. Acanthi as. Teeth rather small, their points placed so obliquely that their 

 inner margin, which is smooth, forms the cutting edge. 



2. Gentrina. Body somewhat three-sided, with a fold of skin at each angle. 

 Teeth in lower jaw triangular, erect and with finely serrated edges. 



B. No spine before either dorsal fin. 



3. Lwmargus. Teeth in upper jaw small and conical ; those in the lower 

 jaw in several rows, their points placed so obliquely that their inner margin, 

 which is smooth, forms the cutting edge. 



4. Echinorhinus. Skin with irregularly placed round osseous tubercles. 

 Teeth large, oblique, and several small cusps on each side of the main one. 



A. Each dorsal fin preceded by a spine. 



Genus I Acanthias, Bisso. 

 Acanthorhinus, sp. Blainville : Eutoxychirus, Gill. 



S})iracle wide and placed immediately behind the eye. Gill-openings narrow. 

 Mouth somewhat arched; no labial fold to jaws, but an oblique groove on either side. 

 No nictitating membrane to eye. Teeth of moderate size with smooth edges, and 

 similar in both jaws; their points are placed obliquely, so that their inner edge 

 becomes their cutting one. Each dorsal fin with a spine. 



Geographical distribution. The temperate seas of the northern and southern 

 hemispheres. 



1. Acanthias vulgaris, Plate CLX, fig. 2. 



AKardiae yaXeiiQ, Aristot. vi, c. 10, ix, c. 27; Athen. vii, p. 294. 



Galeus acanthias, Rondel, p. 373; Gesner, p. 607; Aldrov. p. 399; Jonson, 

 lib. i, p. 27, t. viii, fig. 5 ; Willughby, lib. iii, p. 56, t. B5, f. 1 ; Ray, Synop. Pise, 

 p. 21 ; Klein, Mss. iii, p. 8, t. i, fig. 5, 6. Mustelus spinax, Belon. pp. 69, 70. 

 Squalus, sp. Artedi, Genera, p. 66, no. 3, Synon, p. 94, no. 3 and Spec. p. 102, 

 no. 1 ; Gronov. Zooph. no. 149 and Mus. Ich. i, p. 61, no. 134. Picked dog-fish, 

 Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) iii, p. 100, t. v, fig. 11, and Picked shark (Ed. 1812) 

 iii, p. 133 ; Low, Orkneys, p. 170. Spinax, Duhamel, Pech. iii, p. 299, pi. xx, f. 5. 



Squahis acanthias, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 397 ; Bloch, t. lxxxv ; Gmel. Linn, 

 p. 1500; Bonnaterre, Enc. Ich. p. 11, pi. v, fig. 12 ; Lacep. i, p. 270, pi. x, f . 2 ; 

 Bl. Schn. p. 135 ; Donovan, Brit. Fish, iv, pi. lxxxii ; Turton, Brit. Fauna, p. 114 ; 

 Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 40 ; Blainv. Fauna France, p. 57 ; Johnston, Berwick. Field 

 Club, 1838, i, p. 176 ; Faber, Fische Isls. p. 29 ; Fries and Eks. Skand. Fisk. 

 p. 187, t. xlvi ; Gronov. ed Gray, p. 8. 



Spinax acanthias, Cuv. Reg. Anim. ; Bonap. Faun. Ital. Pesc. pi. exxxix ; 

 Fleming, Brit. An. p. 166 ; Richards. Faun. Bor.-Amer. p. 291 ; Jenyns, Manual, 

 p. 505; Templeton, M. N. Hist. 1837 (2) i, p. 413; Parnell, Wern. Mem. vii, 

 p. 420 ; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 315 ; De Kay, New York Fauna, Fish. p. 359, 

 pi. lxiv, fig. 210 ; Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (ed. 1) ii, p. 400, c. fig. ; Ayres, Boston 

 Journ. Nat. Hist, iv, p. 288 ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 254 ; Schlegel, 

 Dieren Neder. p. 192, pi. xviii, f. 3. 



Acanthias vulgaris, Risso, Eur. Merid. iii, p. 131 ; Mull, and Henle, p. 83 ; 



