Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 307 



of about 30°, its upper margin nearly straight, its tip slender and narrowly rounded, its 

 terminal sector only about \^i the length of fin, the subterminal notch well marked, its 

 lower anterior corner a narrow-tipped lobe, about 40% as long as upper and with convex 

 anterior margin. Anal a little longer at base than 2nd dorsal, but about as large in area and 

 similar in shape except that its posterior margin is much more deeply concave. Pelvics 

 about as long at base as 2nd dorsal, with nearly straight edges, their apices broadly rounded 

 and their tips narrowly so, their origin posterior to rear tip of ist dorsal by a distance about 

 equal to diameter of eye. Pectoral only a little more than Yz (about 56%) as long as 

 head, and little, if any, longer than anterior margin of ist dorsal, a little more than ^o as 

 broad as long, the outer margin moderately convex, distal margin moderately and evenly 

 concave, apex and inner corner narrowly rounded, or subacute. 



Color. Slate-blue above and on upper surface of pectorals, shading through grayish 

 white on lower sides to pure white below j pelvics and anal white. 



Size. The few specimens reported so far have ranged between 500 and 747 mm. (20 

 to 30 inches) in length for the western Atlantic, but up to 1.2 meters (about 4 feet) off 

 West Africa. The maximum size may be considerably greater, for a male of 747 mm. was 

 immature. 



Developmental Stages. Not known. 



Habits. The teeth suggest that this is a fish-eater, like others of its family. All re- 

 corded specimens have been taken close inshore. Nothing definite is known of its habits or 

 diet. 



Range. Both sides of the Atlantic; Senegambia, West Africa, in the east; Cuba, 

 Texas, off Biloxi, Mississippi, Southwest Florida, South and North Carolina, Virginia 

 and New York in the west.** It is described as common in Senegambian waters, and several 

 have been reported from southwestern Florida, from Biloxi on the north shore of the 

 Gulf of Mexico and from Texas (see Study Material, p. 304). However, the more 

 northerly records are for single individuals only. The above facts suggest that it is a 

 tropical species which occasionally strays northward along the east coast of the United 

 States in summer, as do so many other fishes of warm-water origin. 



Synonyms and References: 



Carcharias {A-prion) isoion Miiller and Henle, Plagiost., 1841: 32 (descr., no locality given for type speci- 

 men in Paris Museum; but received from Milbert, hence probably New York). 



Afrionodon functatus Gill, Proc. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad., Addend., 1 861: 55; and later eds. (name); Ann. 

 N. Y. Lye, 7, 1862: 401 (name); Proc. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad., 1864: 262 (descr., probably N. York 

 because type spec, from Milbert); Jordan and Gilbert, Bull. U.S. nat. Mas., 16, 1883: 24 (Atlant.) ; 

 not Squalu! ■punctatus MitchiU, 181 5, which was probably Scoliodon terrae-novae i see p. 292. 



Afrionodon isodon Gill, Ann. N. Y. Lye, 7, 1862: 41 1 (name) ; Poey, An. Soc. esp. Hist, nat., 5, 1876: 396; 

 Enumerat. Pise. Cubens., 1876: 200 (teeth, Cuba) ; Jordan and Gilbert, Bull. U.S. nat. Mus., 16, 1883: 

 874 (discus.); Jordan and Evermann, Rep. U.S. Comm. Fish. (1895), 1896: 217 (Atlant.); Bull. U.S. 

 nat. Mus., 47 (i), 1896: 42 (descr., N. York, Virginia, Cuba) ; Bean, T. H., Rep. For. Comm. N. Y., 



5. No locality was given by Miiller and Henle, 1841, for the type specimen, which is in the Paris Museum, but 

 Dumeril (Hist. Nat. Poiss., 1865: 349) states that it was from the coast of New York state. 



