282 



Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



rather abrupt, posterior corners broadly rounded, posterior margins weakly convex. 

 Axis of greatest breadth about 70 "/o of distance back from snout toward axils of pec- 

 torals. Tail with lateral folds extending nearly its entire length but so narrow that they 

 are likely to be overlooked; distance from center of cloaca to origin of first dorsal 70- 

 80 "/o as great as distance from snout to cloaca, the variation depending upon the 

 position of first dorsal relative to second dorsal rather than on size or sex; extreme 

 length of tail, from center of cloaca to tip, about 1.1-1.2 times as great as distance 

 from center of cloaca to snout. 



Figure 61. Raja texana. A Lower side of anterior part of head of male pictured in Fig. 60. B Ventral view of 

 pelvics of same. C Margin of right-hand nasal curtain of same, about 4X. -iO Left-hand nostril of same, about 

 \y^.E Side view of posterior part of tail of female pictured in Fig. 60. F Upper teeth of another female, 550 mm 

 long, from Galveston, Texas (Harv. Mus. Comp. Zool., No. 36389), about 7 X . G Upper teeth of male, 41 8 mm 

 long, from Freeport, Texas (Harv. Mus. Comp. Zool., No. 36393), about 7X. 



Small specimens, up to 1 50-200 mm long, with rostral ridge either smooth or 

 bearing 2-3 small thorns; 2-3 larger thorns in front of orbit and one close behind it; 

 usually three in midline of back from nuchal region to shoulder girdle, these followed 

 by a gap and then by a continuous row of 16-17 thorns from pelvic girdle to first 

 dorsal fin; 1-3 thorns between first and second dorsals; also one irregular row low 

 down either side of tail from a little posterior to axils of pectorals nearly to tip ; first 

 and second dorsals with a few prickles; upper surface smooth otherwise except for 

 thorns. Half-grown specimens and larger with the midrow of thorns continuous from 

 nuchal region rearward to first dorsal, about eight large ones anterior to pectoral girdle, 

 several small ones between pectoral girdle and pelvic girdle, 42-47 larger ones on 

 tail, and 1-3 up to 6-7 smaller ones in interspace between first and second dorsals; 



