Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 91 



anteriorly, the lower anterior lobe about 30% as long as upper. Anal with nearly straight 

 margins and subacute corners, about as long as dorsal at base but only about % as high, its 

 origin about under rear end of base of dorsal. Pelvics a little higher than anal and almost 

 I Y2 times as long at base, prolonged rearward in male, and partially enclosing the claspers, 

 the inner margins entirely separate posterior to the cloaca in both sexes. Pectoral relatively 

 small, % to % as broad as long, with very broad base, the outer margin weakly convex, 

 distal margin moderately concave, apex narrowly rounded and inner corner more broadly 

 so. 



Color. Fresh specimens from Cuba are described* as uniformly gray, sometimes 

 shaded with brownish, somewhat paler below than above; pectorals bordered with white; 

 pelvics and anal pale; dorsal black at apex, with two white spots, one midway of its an- 

 terior margin, the other near its rear base; caudal edged below with white, its apex with a 

 black spot, edged with white. After preservation, these same specimens (see Study Mate- 

 rial, p. 88) are dark mouse-gray above, grayish white below, with apex of dorsal and tip 

 of caudal dusky, the latter pale-edged. 



Developmental Stages. Gravid females have been taken off Cuba with as many as 1 8 

 embryos, ranging in size up to 150 mm.^ Nine embryos, about lOO mm. long, taken from 

 the female listed above (p. 88), are of approximately adult form, the chief differences 

 being their much larger eyes, which is a common embryonic feature, relatively longer 

 caudals, less deeply emarginate dorsal and pectoral fins, and relatively shorter body cavi- 

 ties. The large oval yolk sac shows no signs of any attachment to the wall of the oviduct 

 of the mother.* Up to 20 embryos have been found in a female, in Cuban waters.' 



Size. This Shark may be born at a length no greater than about 10 inches; males may 

 mature at 2 to 2Y2 feet, and females at about 3 feet, or perhaps while even smaller. The 

 few specimens for which sizes have previously been recorded in scientific literature have 

 ranged from about one foot, two inches (350 mm.)' to a maximum of seven feet (about 

 2.14 m.).^ Although the species has been credited repeatedly with reaching more than 

 three meters, or 10 feet, we find no definite proof of so large a size for it. 



Habits. Very little is known of its mode of life. It seems to be a bottom dweller 

 chiefly, of coastal waters. Its depth range is wide, however, for on the one hand it is recorded 

 from 380 to 460 meters depth off Portugal and from deep water off Cuba, while on the 

 other hand it has been reported as common in the very shallow water of roadsteads and 

 lagoon-like situations along tropical West Africa." In Spanish waters it is classed as very 

 voracious, destroying great numbers of food fish, especially hake (Merluccius). No pre- 

 cise information is available as to its stomach contents. Nothing is known of its breeding 

 habits, other than as indicated above. 



4. Howell-Rivero (Torreya, 9, 1941 : 8, and personal communication). 



5. Personal communication from Luis Howell-Rivero. 



6. See Lo Bianco (Mitt. zool. Sta. Neapel., ig, 1909: 667) for an account of the egg capsules; Ranzi (Pubbl. Sta. 

 zool. Napoli, 1$, 1934: 378, 417) for the structure of the uterine wall in the gravid female. 



7. Personal communication from Luis Howell-Rivero. 8. Tortonese, Atti Soc. ital. Sci. nat., 77, 1938: 286. 



9. Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., S, 1870: 398. 10. Rochebrune, Act. Soc. linn. Bordeaux, (4) 6, 1882: 46. 



