Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 207 



grown specimen). That the distribution of the dark spots is not the same on the two sides 

 of one specimen, and that there are many more on it and on a newly hatched specimen from 

 Cuba than on another from Barbados, show that their number is not a specific character. 



Size. The state of sexual development of the larger specimen, as indicated by the 

 length of its claspers, suggests that this species becomes mature at a length of perhaps two 

 feet. S. boa is thus a considerably larger shark than S. torre't (p. 213). No females have 

 yet been seen. 



Developmental stages. The egg cases have not been identified. 



Habits. The depths of capture, listed above, make it likely that this is an inhabitant 

 of moderately deep waters and probably a bottom-dweller. Other than this nothing is 

 known of its habits. 



Range. S. boa is positively known only from Brazil, from Cuban waters and from 

 the Barbados (see Study Material, p. 204). 



Synonyms and References: 



Scylliorhinus boa Goode and Bean, Smithson. Contr. KnowL, 30, 1895: 17; Mem. Harv. Mus. comp. Zool., 



22, 1896; Spec. Bull. U.S. nat. Mus., 2 (off Barbados) ; Howell-Rivero, Proc. Boston See. nat. Hist., 41, 



1936: 44 (Cuba). 

 Scylliorhinus retifer Goode and Bean, Smithson. Contr. KnowL, 30, 1895: pi. 2, fig. 6; Mem. Harv. Mus. 



comp. Zool., 22, 1896; Spec. Bull. U.S. nat. Mus., 2 (same); not Scyllium retiferum Garman, 1881. 

 Catulus retifer var. boa Ribeiro, Bol. Soc. nac. Agric. Brasil, 1 904: 17 (Brazil); not Scyllium retiferum 



Garman, 1 88 1. 

 Catulus haeckelii Ribeiro, Mem. Mus. nac. Rio de J., 14, 1907: 163, pi. 8 (Ilha Rasa, near Rio de Janeiro, 



Brazil, descr.) ; Fauna brasil. Peixes, 2 (i), Fasc. i, 1923: 21, pi. 7 (same as Ribeiro, 1 907); Fowler, 



Arqu. Zool. Estado Sao Paulo, 3, 1942: 127 (Brazil). 

 Scyliorhinus retifer (in part) Regan, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist., (8) I, 1908: 457 (class.). 

 Catulus boa Garman, Mem. Harv. Mus. comp. Zool., 36, 191 3: 77 (descr.). 



Scyliorhinus retifer (Garman), 1881 



Chain Dogfish 



Figure 33 



Study Material. Type specimen, male, 307 mm. long, from off Virginia (Harv, Mus. 

 Comp. Zool., No. 825) ; a male, 428 mm, long, from off New Jersey (Harv, Mus. Comp, 

 Zool,, No, 33932); also two females, 300 and 370 mm., from offing of southern New 

 England, in 50-70 fathoms (Harv. Mus. Comp. Zool.), 



Distinctive Characters. This species is most obviously separated from other local 

 species of the genus by its chain-like color pattern, by its wedge-shaped snout, and by the 

 fact that the origin of its first dorsal is closer to the tip of the caudal than to the snout. 



Description. Proportional dimensions in per cent of total length. Male, 307 mm., 

 from Lat, 38° N., Long. 73° W, (Harv, Mus, Comp, Zool,, type, No, 825). Male, 428 

 mm., from 1 10 miles SE. of Atlantic City, N. J, (Harv. Mus, Comp, Zool,, No, 33932), 



