538 Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



Squatina dtimeril (Lesueur), 1 8 1 8 



Angel Shark 



Figures 103 G, 104, 105 



Study Material. Female, 382 mm. long, from the continental slope off New York, 

 Lat. 39° 42' N., Long. 71° 17' W., taken Sept. 19, 1887 (U.S.Nat. Mus., No. 118461); 

 male, 1,080 mm. (42 ^^ inches) long, from lower Chesapeake Bay at Lynnhaven Roads, 

 Virginia; mounted specimen, 43 inches, from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts (New 

 Eng. Mus. Nat. Hist.). 



Distinctive Characters. Its skate-like appearance separates the Angel Shark at a 

 glance from any other shark except for some other members of its own genus. For specific 

 characters within the genus, see the preceding Key (p. 536). 



Description. Proportional dimensions in per cent of total length. Female, 382 mm., 

 from Lat. 39° 42' N., Long. 71° 17' W. (U.S.Nat. Mus., No. 118461). 



Extreme breadth at outer extremity of pectorals: 60.8. 



Trunk at origin of pectoral: height 9.0. 



Snout length in front of: outer nostrils O; mouth O. 



Eye: horizontal diameter 2.0; distance between eyes 8.4. 



Spiracles: distance between lO.O; from spiracle opening to eye 2.2. 



Mouth: breadth 13.6; height 2.1. 



Nostrils: distance between inner ends 5.8. 



Gill opening lengths : ist 7.0; 2nd 6.3; 3rd 5.8; 4th S-S) 5th 5.0. 



First dorsal fin: vertical height ^.S; length of base 3.3. 



Second dorsal fin: vertical height 5.O; length of base 3.1. 



Caudal fin: upper margin 13.6; lower margin 16.7. 



Pectoral fin: oxxttr mzvgm i%.0; inner margin 15.7; distal margin 14.9. 



Distance from snout to: ist dorsal 65.7; 2nd dorsal 76.5; upper caudal 86.4; 



pectoral 17.5; pelvics 37.2. 



Interspace between: ist and 2nd dorsals 7.5; 2nd dorsal and caudal 7.3. 



Distance from origin to origin of: pectoral and pelvics 22.2; pelvics and caudal 



45.6. 



General form of trunk as described for family and genus. Caudal peduncle ex- 

 panded laterally as a low ridge on either side posterior to 2nd dorsal. Dermal denticles 

 on dorsal surface loosely spaced but generally distributed, conical, the spinous portion 

 weakly recurved, usually with 4 or more longitudinal ridges; bases broad, their outlines 

 more or less radiate; larger denticles in clusters of 5 or 6 beside inner anterior and inner pos- 

 terior edges of eyes, with a row extending from near inner side of nostril toward eye; young 

 specimens also with a single row of denticles, 3 to 4 times as large as the others, along mid- 

 line of back from opposite anterior ends of bases of pectorals to origin of ist dorsal, but in 

 large specimens these are little, if any, larger than the denticles that flank them; adult 



