much the same as in other western Atlantic 

 scyliorhinids, but it is not known whether S. torrei 

 is oviparous or ovoviviparous. 



Howell-Rivero (1936) in describing S. torrei 

 noted the presence of a nictitating membrane and 

 by this (among other characters) distinguished it 

 from S. torazame of Japanese waters. Among 

 specimens of both species examined for this study 

 there is some difference in the degree of develop- 

 ment, of the subocular fold. Gilbert and Oren 

 (1964) have called attention to inconsistencies in 

 use of the terms subocular fold and nictitating 

 membrane or nictitans, and I follow their rec- 

 ommendation in restricting the meaning of sub- 

 ocular fold to indicate a poorly developed lower 

 eyelid. The presence of a nictitans or its state of 

 development has sometimes been assumed from the 

 presence of a subocular fold or its length relative 

 to the length of the eye. Although there are dif- 

 ferences in the extent of development of the 

 subocular fold in different species, there is also 

 much variation within species apparent in museum 

 specimens, some of it due to differences in methods 

 of preservation. Winking by the nictitans was 

 observed in the two European Scyliorhinus Gil- 

 bert. (1963), but its functional movement has not 

 been observed and reported for other scyliorhinids. 



In males the extent of union of pelvic fins along 

 their inner edges is variable in the material ex- 

 amined. In one immature male the inner edges are 

 united throughout, and one adult male has tins that 

 are not united at all. Other males examined have 

 fins united along two-thirds to three-fourths of 

 their inner margins. Bigelow and Schroeder 

 (1948) state that male S. torrei have claspers ex- 

 tending far beyond the tips of the pelvics. The 

 illustration (1948, fig. 35), however, shows that 

 the claspers of their largest specimen reach only a 

 short distance beyond the pelvic tips. In the mate- 

 rial at hand, the fully calcified claspers of one 

 adult male (the largest) fail to reach the tips of 

 the pelvics. In two others the claspers extend a 

 very short distance beyond the tips of the pelvics. 

 The ventral (outer) surfaces of the claspers, in 

 the unflexed condition, are covered with denticles 

 except for the extreme tip. Denticle points are 

 directed anteriorly (toward the clasper base) as in 

 other sharks of the suborder Galeoidea. The 

 inner surface does not have either denticles or 

 hooks in the position indicated by Schmidt (1930) 

 for hooks on claspers of Scyliorhiniis torazame 

 (Tanaka). On the adult male S. torrei at hand, 

 there are somewhat irregular series of slightly en- 

 larged denticles having sharp points directed ante- 



Figure 14. — A, Scyliorhinus torrei Howell-Rivero. drawn from a 258-mm. adult female collected at M/V 

 Silver Bay station 2457; B, Scyliorhinus meadi new species, drawn from a 190-mm. young male taken 

 at M/V Combat station 51. 



REVIEW OF WESTERN ATLANTIC CAT SHARKS 



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