CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 1 



Area covered 1 



Scope of the work 1 



Sources of information 2 



Use of the keys 4 



Key to Gulf of Maine fishes 5 



The Cyclostomes. Class Agnatha 9 



Hagfishes and lampreys. Families Myxinidae and Petromyzonidae 9 



Hag Myxine glutinosa Linnaeus 10 



Sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus 12 



Cartilaginous fishes. Class Chondrichthyes 15 



Sharks, torpedoes, skates and rays. Subclass Elasmobranchii 15 



Sharks. Order Selachii 15 



Sand sharks. Family Carchariidae 18 



Sand shark Carcharias taurus Rafinesque 18 



Mackerel sharks. Family Isuridae 20 



Mackerel shark Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre) 20 



Sharp-nosed mackerel shark, Mako I sums oxyrinchus Rafinesque 23 



Maneater, White shark Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus) 25 



Basking sharks. Family Cetorhinidae 28 



Basking shark Celorhinus maximus (Gunnerus) 28 



Thresher sharks. Family Alopiidae 32 



Thresher Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre) 32 



Cat sharks. Family Scyliorhinidae 34 



Chain dogfish Scyliorhinus retifer (Garman) 34 



Smooth dogfishes. Family Triakidae 34 



Smooth dogfish Mustelus canis (Mitchill) 34 



Requiem sharks. Family Carcharhinidae 36 



Tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier (LeSueur) 37 



Blue shark Prionace glauca (Linnaeus) 38 



Sharp-nosed shark Scoliodon terrae-novae (Richardson) 40 



Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus (LeSueur) 41 



Brown shark Carcharhinus milberti (Muller and Henle) 43 



Hammerhead sharks. Family Sphyrnidae 44 



Bonnet shark, Shovelhead Sphyrna tiburo (Linnaeus) 44 



Hammerhead Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus) 45 



Spiny dogfishes. Family Squalidae 47 



Spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias Linnaeus 47 



Black dogfish Centroscyllium fabricii (Reinhardt) 51 



Portuguese shark Cenlroscymnus coelolepis Bocage and Brito Capello 52 



Gurry sharks. Family Dalatiidae 53 



Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch and Schneider) 53 



Dalalias licha (Bonnaterre) 55 



Bramble sharks. Family Echinorhinidae 56 



Bramble shark Echinorhinus brucus (Bonnaterre) 56 



Torpedoes, skates and rays. Order Batoidei 57 



Torpedo or electric rays. Family Torpedinidae 58 



Torpedo Torpedo nobiliana Bonaparte 58 



Skates. Family Rajidae 60 



Barn-door skate Raja laevis Mitchill 61 



Big skate Raja ocellata Mitchill 63 



Brier skate Raja eglanteria Bosc 65 



Leopard skate Raja garmani Whitley 66 



Little skate Raja erinacea Mitchill 67 



Smooth- tailed skate Raja senla Garman 70 



Thorny skate Raja radiata Donovan 72 



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