Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 367 



re-entrant corner between the two lobes rather broadly rounded/* Anal slightly longer at 

 base than 2nd dorsal, its outline presumably similar to that of limbatus but damaged in the 

 specimen we have seen, its free rear corner more obtuse and only a little more than V2 as 

 long as the base. Distance from origin of anal to tips of pelvics about i V2 times as long as 

 base of anal. Pelvics a little longer than 2nd dorsal along anterior margin. Pectoral a little 

 less than % (72%) as long as head, and about V2 as broad as long, similar in form to that 

 of limbatus, with very narrowly rounded or subacute apex and inner corner. 



Color. Varying shades of gray above, the colors said to be more intense in life than in 

 limbatus; white or whitish below, resembling limbatus in having a narrowing band of the 

 darker tint of the upper parts extending rearward to about over the origin of the pelvics; 

 above this there is a corresponding extension forward of a narrowing band of white (or 

 whitish) from the lower sides to a point % of the distance forward from the origin of 

 the pelvics toward the axil of the pectoral j" lower lobe of caudal, apex of 2nd dorsal and 

 lower surfaces of tips of pectorals broadly and conspicuously tipped with black, with apex 

 of ist dorsal narrowly so, much as in limbatus. 



Size. The few specimens of both sexes for which the sizes have been recorded have 

 ranged from five feet eight inches to about eight feet in length; it apparently grows 

 larger than limbatus.'" 



Developnental Stages. We have a photograph of a female six feet three inches from 

 Florida with ten young." 



Habits. This shark has been seen in schools and leaping at the surface, in which 

 habit it resembles limbatus, but nothing definite is known of its diet, other than that in 

 Florida waters it follows shrimp trawlers to pick up the discarded fish; nothing is known 

 of its life in other respects. 



Range. So far reported only from Cuba (the type locality), from Porto Rico by name 

 only, and from both coasts of southern Florida. Although more than three-fourths of a 

 century has passed since m^culifinnis was first described, it generally has been confused 

 with limbatus and until very recently" reported under that name, if at all; consequently 

 the published records afford no information as to the details of its occurrence, other than 

 that it is common in winter off southeastern Florida, also off northeastern Florida (Jack- 

 sonville) in the spring," and that the local shark fishermen are familiar enough with it to 

 have recognized it as distinct from limbatus. But whether or not it ranges northward in 

 summer like limbatus is not yet known. 



Relation to Man. This, like various other species, forms part of the catch of the 



74. Slight apparent differences in the shape of the caudal between maculifinms and limbatus may represent individual 

 variation. 



75. These contrasting- lighter and darker bands are still visible in the preserved specimen, although the latter is now 

 much discolored in the preservative. 



76. Females of eight feet were recently reported to us off Salerno, Florida, by Stewart Springer. 



77. From Stewart Springer. 



78. Springer (Proc. Fla. Acad. Sci., j, 1939; 27) was the first to show that maculipinnis is not a synonym of 

 limbatus and that it is a distinct and easily recognizable species. 



79. Personal communication from Stewart Springer. 



