Zoology."] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Fishes. 



Plate 104. 



CETORHINUS MAXIMUS (Linn. sp.). 

 The Basking Shark. 



[Genus CETORHINUS (Blainv.) = SELACHE (Got.). (Sub-kingd. Vertebrata. Class 

 Pisces. Order Plaeoida. Sub-order Selachoidea. Fam. Lamniadse.) 



Gen. Char. — Snout short, narrow, blunt ; spiracles small, above angle of mouth. Gill-slits 

 five, very large, nearly meeting under throat. Teeth very numerous, very small, conical, 

 moderately arched backwards, without denticulation or lateral cusps ; scales of slender, erect, 

 slightly curved points, rough to the touch in all directions. First dorsal opposite space between 

 pectoral and anal, without spine ; second dorsal small, slightly in advance of the equally small 

 anal ; caudal lunate, with pit at base above and below ; tail keeled on sides. No nictitating 

 eye-lid.] 



Description. — Fusiform, head very small, abruptly narrowed to a short snout 

 with a slightly concave profile rising 1 from a little behind the eye ; several mucous 

 pores at the sides; eyes near tip of snout; nostrils near edge of upper lip; spiracles 

 small, above and a little behind the angle of the jaw. Gill-slits enormously large, 

 reaching from high above middle of sides to nearly meeting under throat. Teeth 

 very small, simple, conical, slightly arched backwards, six rows of about 120 on 

 each side of lower jaw, and five rows of about 109 in each side of upper jaw; 

 those of under jaw a little wider than the upper ones. First dorsal large, over 

 the space between the pectoral and ventral fins, upper angle approaching- a right 

 angle, hinder angle narrow, prolonged, pointed ; 2nd dorsal small, upper angle 

 obtusely rounded, hind angle acutely prolonged ; anal fin resembling the 2nd 

 dorsal, nearly under, and slightly behind it; pectorals broad, pointed, a little behind 

 the last gill-opening; ventrals moderate; claspers of male small; caudal fin with 

 a deep, transverse pit at base above and below, lunate, upper lobe larger than lower ; 

 a strong keel on each side from middle of base of tail to a little behind base of anal 

 fin. Skin covered with very numerous, irregular, flexuous, rounded wrinkles, their 

 own diameter apart, and about 10 in one inch, nearly vertical on most of the body, 

 but longitudinal on head, and obliquely transverse on bands between gill-openings, 

 closely set with nearly erect, slender, conical, slightly-curved thorns, about four in 

 1 line (or eleven in £ inch), about ^ line long, and rendering the surface rough to 

 the touch in all directions, but least so towards the tail, in which direction they 

 chiefly incline ; the individual wrinkles are not more than 1 or 2 inches long. 

 Color: Nearly uniform blackish-brown or tar-color, lighter below; iris brown. 



Measurements. 



Length from tip of snout to tip of upper lobe of tail 



„ „ ,, origin of first dorsal ... 



„ across from one angle of mouth to the other 



„ of upper jaw 



„ of lower jaw 

 Nostrils on edge of upper lip, distance apart 

 Girth at middle of body... 



Length from tip of snout to anterior cdgct>f orbit ... 

 „ „ „ „ „ of pectoral fin 



„ of anterior edge of pectoral 



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