146 



UNDERWATER GUIDE TO MARINE LIFE 



Nurse sharks nose about coral and seaweed in search of food which consists 

 of a great variety of small fishes and invertebrates. At times, they eat refuse, 

 amounting almost to scavengers. Several rows of small teeth in each jaw form 

 a crushing or holding dentition. 



CAT SHARKS: Family Scyliorhinidae 



The two dorsal fins are nearly equal in size and posteriorly placed, the first 

 being behind or over the pelvics. The tail fin is much like that of the nurse 

 sharks with a poorly developed lower lobe. The fourth and fifth gill slits are 

 over the pectoral, and the spiracles are fairly large. This group is rather uniform 

 with many small, cat-eyed, prettily patterned species, most of which live in 

 deep tropical and temperate waters beyond the range of the diver. Cat sharks 

 are most common in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, but are world-wide 

 in distribution. The common spotted dogfishes, Scyliorhiniis species, of Europe 

 belong in this family. They are oviparous as far as is known. 



SWELL shark: Cephaloscyllium uter 



Size: Up to 3 feet. 



Distrihiition: Monterey Bay to Acapulco, Mexico. 



Identification: Ground color is brownish yellow. Barred with black and spotted 

 with black and white. 



Habits: This is the only cat shark which is common inshore. It may be seen 

 in kelp beds particularly. It presumably eats a wide variety of animal foods, 

 especially fish, and can swallow surprisingly large objects with its capacious 

 mouth. The common name is derived from its habit of inflating like a puffer 

 when molested. The flesh will cause diarrhea if eaten. 



SAND SHARKS: Family Carchariidae 



The two dorsal fins and the anal fin are of nearly equal size and the 

 posterior margin of the first dorsal is just over the anterior margin of the pelvic. 



Fig. 52. Swell shark. 



Fig. 53. Sand shark 



