SHARKS 53 



Grows to a length of 10 feet and a weight of about 400 lb. 



The single existing species (E. spinosus) is found in the 

 Atlantic and Mediterranean, and ranges to South Africa, 

 Australia, New Zealand and Japan. There are a number of 

 records from the British Isles, particularly from the warmer 

 south-western coasts. 



The Bramble Shark appears to prefer deep water, but 

 very little is know of its habits. Judging from the contents 

 of the stomachs of captured specimens, the food consists 

 largely of fishes and crustaceans. A female, 9 feet long, 

 which was taken on a conger-line off the Eddystone in 1869, 

 had several dogfish about 3 feet in length in its stomach. 

 The fact that it is nearly always caught on baited lines 

 suggests that the Bramble Shark is a bottom feeder. 



Nothing is known of its breeding habits, and it has little 

 economic value. 



ANGEL-FISHES OR MONK-FISHES. 

 (Family Squatinid^e ; Genus Squatina.) Fig. 24. 



Sharks with a broad body, flattened from above downwards, 

 and with a blunt, rounded snout. The eyes are small and 

 placed on top of the head. The mouth is near the end of the 

 head, and is armed with several rows of pointed teeth, which 

 are set well apart from one another. The spiracles are large, 

 crescent-shaped, and placed at a short distance behind the 

 eyes. The external gill-clefts are wide, and are all crowded 

 together in front of the pectoral fins, the bases of which 

 partly hide them. The 2 dorsal fins are without spines, of 

 small size, and situated well back on the tail. There is no 

 anal fin, and the caudal fin i? rather small. Each pectoral fin 

 is prolonged forward to form a sort of angular " shoulder ", 

 which is quite free from the head and body. The pelvic 

 fins are large. The coloration of the upper surface is generally 

 grey or brown, but varies from yellowish to nearly black, and 

 it is usually blotched and spotted with darker ; in addition, 

 there are often some white lines and spots on the back ; the 

 lower surface is plain white. 



These Sharks are found in most temperate and tropical 

 seas. Fossil remains of Squatina date back to the Jurassic 



