Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 497 



moderately oblique, a little less than V2 as long as horizontal diameter of eye, its inner 

 margin expanded midway of its length as a short, triangular lobe with blunted tip, its inner 

 corner about equidistant from tip of snout and from front of mouth. Mouth only very 

 slightly arched, its breadth about twice as great as distance between nostrils and a little 

 greater than length of snout in front of mouth. Upper labial furrow extending nearly V2 

 of the way, the lower about V3 of the way, toward the respective symphyses. Pit at corner 

 of mouth very voluminous, allowing for considerable expansion when mouth is opened, 

 and prolonged as a narrowing furrow rearward, nearly Y> the way back toward ist gill 

 opening. 



Teeth about ^ on specimen counted ( - also reported) 5 widely unlilce in the 

 two jaws; upper teeth with i slender, erect, lanceolate cusp on bifid base,* considerably 

 broader toward corner of jaw than toward center, their tips slightly curved outward, the 

 outer margins notched near corner of mouth in some cases, the successive series rather 

 widely spaced; lower teeth quadrate, each overlapping the next on the outer side, their 

 outer margins deeply notched, the i broad sharp cusp so strongly oblique that the inner 

 margins form a nearly continuous cutting edge parallel to the jaw; those near center of 

 mouth about twice as high as broad, but the 3 or 4 next to the corner of mouth successively 

 broader, the outermost of all widely expanded basally on outer side, with cusp but weakly 

 outlined; 2 or 3 series regularly functional in upper jaw, i or 2 in lower, depending on 

 the stage in replacement. 



First dorsal noticeably small, with broadly rounded apex, its length at base only about 

 V4 to Vs as great as length of head, its vertical height a little less than length of base, its 

 rear margin nearly straight, free rear tip a little longer than base, its origin posterior to 

 inner corner of pectoral by a distance about twice as long as horizontal diameter of eye, 

 the midpoint of its base only about Y2 as far from axil of pectoral as from origin of pelvics, 

 its spine exposed at tip but so short as to be easily overlooked. Second dorsal similar to ist 

 in shape, but about 1.2 times as long at base, its origin a little posterior to midpoint of base 

 of pelvics, its rear margin weakly concave, its spine exposed at tip like that of ist dorsal, but 

 so short as to be apt to escape notice. Interspace between 2nd dorsal and caudal about i^^ 

 times as long as base of 2nd dorsal. Caudal Y^ to ^^ (about 22 to 23%) of total length, 

 noticeably wide, its extreme breadth being about % its length, truncate posteriorly with 

 deep subterminal notch, its lower posterior contour weakly concave, the lower anterior 

 margin a little more tlian Y-j, as long as upper margin. Pelvics a little longer at base than 

 2nd dorsal, with nearly straight margins, rounded apices and pointed tips. Pectoral a little 

 less than -/w as long as head, a little more than ^2 as broad as long, with nearly straight 

 outer and distal margins and moderately rounded corners. 



Color. Dark chocolate brown below as well as above. 



She. The smallest recorded specimen is about nine inches long (230 mm.); adults 



4.. The upper teeth resemble those of Somniosus in general appearance, but may be recognized by the fact that their 

 cusps do not taper uniformly from base to tip, but are lanceolate. 



