Family Cetorhinidae 

 Genus Cetorhinus 



(6) Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus) 1765 



Basking shark, bone shark 



Specimens: (PLATE 5) 



This is the largest species of fish which occurs in Rhode Island 

 waters. In European waters it has been known to reach lengths of 

 40 to 50 feet. During June and July, 1956, four basking sharks, 

 ranging in size from 12 to 20 feet were captured in the floating 

 traps at Point Judith by W. Clark. Due to their large size, these 

 fish were released. 



Economic Importance 



During the nineteenth century there was an extensive fishery 

 for the basking shark. It was taken by harpoon for the oil content 

 of its liver. Today it is pursued only in the Irish Sea. The flesh is 

 soft and not very palatable. 



Family Alopiidae 

 Genus Alopias 



(7) Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre) 1788 

 Thresher shark, thrasher, swiveltail, whiptail 



Specimens: (PLATE 6) 



This species has been described as the most common shark on the 

 continental shelf off Block Island. It appears in May, and is most 

 plentiful in June, remaining until autumn. On September 3, 1956, 

 the trawl vessel Jane Dore captured two thresher sharks in one 

 drag of an otter trawl net four miles SE of Watch Hill. One of the 

 threshers was seven feet long and weighed 65 pounds; the other 

 measured 12 feet and weighed approximately 450 pounds. This 

 species occasionally appear in the fish traps as it feeds on most 

 schooling fishes such as mackerel, herring and menhaden. Thresher 

 sharks are one of the few species of fish known to attack schools 

 of bluefish. 



Economic Importance: 



This fish is occasionally sent to market as the flesh is moderately 



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