H aii> aiian Fishes 



29 



Cooke's Shark 



8-3 Echinorhinus cookei Pietschmann 



Drawn from Pietschmann 



The only known specimen of this rare shark was taken in deep water 

 off the southern coast of Kauai by a fishing sampan. The specimen 

 measured about eighty-two inches and was named for Dr. Charles Mon- 

 tague Cooke, Jr., of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu. The 

 shark was so poorly preserved that an accurate drawing of it is impossible. 



THE STING RAY FAMILY 



Also known as the Whip-Tailed Ray, Stingaree, or Clam Cracker Family 



9 Family Dasyatidae {Trygonidae, Dasybatidae) 



The rays are fishes in which the head, body, and the pectoral fins have 

 been depressed to form a broad disk-like body. The tails of these fishes 

 are long and whip-like, although some of the members of the family have 

 a shorter tail which may not be much longer than the body. These tails 

 are nearly always armed on the upper side with one and sometimes two 

 or more saw-edged spines. Since all of these spines are large, jagged, 

 strong, and set on a strong, muscular tail, they are able to inflict very 

 severe and dangerous wounds. 



This family of rays includes about fifty species, some of which are 

 large in size. They live in all seas and a few species in South America 

 live in fresh water. Although some do live in colder waters they seem 

 to prefer warmer seas. They live near sandy bottoms where they lie flat 

 feeding on shell fish, crabs, other crustaceans, and fishes. They are ovo- 

 viviparous and hatch the eggs within the body of the mother. These rays 

 are seldom eaten as food because their flesh is usually rank and disagree- 

 able in taste and odor. 



Two members of this family are known from Hawaiian waters. 



