FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 81, NO. 2 



stomach of a 1 70 mm embryo dissected from a female 

 from Natal, South Africa. These were the smallest 

 embryos yet recorded from O. taurus and provided 

 the first description of embryonic cannibalism in 

 this species. 



The capture of 28 pregnant O. taurus from various 

 locations on the east coast of Florida (1946-80) pro- 

 vided 62 embryos, 13-1,060 mmTL (Table 1, Fig. 1). 

 These specimens have allowed a more detailed de- 

 scription of early embryonic development in this 

 species than was possible previously. This study de- 

 scribes the various developmental stages in 0. tau- 

 rus based principally on embryonic anatomical de- 

 velopment and changes in maternal gonadal mor- 

 phology. 



METHODS 



All adult 0. taurus specimens examined were cap- 

 tured either on rod and reel sport fishing gear or on 

 static 10-30 hook set lines. Fourteen specimens were 

 captured 200 m to 19 km from shore in neritic waters 

 off Melbourne Beach, Brevard County, Fla. (lat. 



28°00'N, long. 80° 33' W). All specimens came from 

 depths of 5-12 m. A 15th specimen was caught at lat. 

 27°25'N, long. 80°12'W, east of Fort Pierce Inlet, St. 

 Lucie County, Fla. A 16th specimen, a 240 cm 

 female, gave birth to two pups at Sea World of Orlan- 

 do, Fla., and all three were examined. This latter 

 adult female was captured on 2 1 August 1 980 at Port 

 Canaveral, Brevard County (lat. 28°24.5'N). Eleven 

 other specimens were captured prior to our study; 

 these data and, in some cases, embryos from these 

 specimens were included (Table 1). 



Embryos and adult reproductive tracts were pre- 

 served in 10% Formalin 7 and stored in 10% buffered 

 Formalin or 70% ethanol, or were frozen. All of these 

 specimens were entered and catalogued into the In- 

 dian River Coastal Zone Museum (IRCZM). Egg 

 diameters and embryos < 1 30 mm TL were measured 

 using vernier calipers to the nearest 0.1 mm. All 

 length measurements including total length (TL) 

 follow Bass et al. (1975). 



'Reference to trade names does not imply endorsement by the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. 



Table 1.— Uterine embryo and egg capsule data for Odontaspis taurus, from the Florida east coast, arranged chronologically by month of 



examination of embryos, 1947-81. 



"Length given as 1.5 inches, therefore not accurately determined. 

 **Blastodiscs were observed on some eggs. 



7 Egg capsules and embryos could have been present but were not recorded. 

 1 F. G. Wood, formerly of Marine I and Inc., St. Augustine, FL 32084, pers. commun. 1 976-77 

 2 Spnnger 1948. 



3 E. Herbert, Florida Shark Club. Jacksonville, FL 3221 1, pers. commun. 1976-77 

 4 A. McBrtde, Curator, Manneland Inc., St. Augustine, FL 32084, unpubl. data, 1947. 

 5 Specimens were still living in captivity April 1983 at Sea World of Orlando, Fla. 



202 



