1136 



: Tcotli large or middle-sized. The gill- 

 openings extend only slightly, if at all, 

 above the middle of the sides. — Sub- 

 family Lwiiniiiff. 

 a: Length of the caudid lin about half 



that of the body or even greater. 



Peduncle of the tail not keeled .... 

 b: Lenirth of the caudal fin much less 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



Alopias viilj^e)!. 



than half that of the body. Sides 



of the peduncle of the tail furnished 



with a longitudinal carina in front 



of the caudal fin Isiirus rorniihicns. 



B: Teeth extremely small, numerous, of 

 a simple conical form. The gill-open- 

 ings extend up the greater portion of 

 the sides. — Subfamilv Selaehince Cetorhhius maximus. 



Genus ALOPIAS. 



Caudal ,//« usKaUij (irnipn'ntfi more titan Italf the li-iigf/i of the hoclij. A transverse depression at its base above 

 and beloH-. Xo lateral carina on the tail. Teeth middle-sized, of a compressed triangular form, smootlt-marcfmed. 



Of this genu.*, which jiossesses, in its so singularly | This is strictly a stranger to the Scandinavian fauna, 

 elongated caudal tin, ;iu unmistakable characteristic I but has been met with three or four times within the 

 among all the Sharks, only one species is known. limits thereof. 



THE FOX-SHARK (.sw. uai-ha.ien). 



ALOPIAS VULPES. 



Y\g. 328. 



Bod%j, apart from the caudal fin, of a thick fusiform shape, almost clavate. the least depth being only slightly less 

 or even more than half the greatest, which is contained about 4 times in the length of the body, excluding the 

 caudal fin. Length of the short conical snout about '/g — \L of the interorbitcd width. Diameter of the eyes about 

 half the length of the snout. Spiracles extremely small, situated in a groove exactly behind the eyes, from which 

 they are separated by a distance ecjual to or half as great again as the diameter thereof. Gill-openings middle- 

 sized {small, in comparison with those of the two folloiring species). First dorsal fin situated about half-way 

 between the tip of the snout and the base of the caudal fin, triangular, with the lower inferior corner but slightly 

 prolongated. Second dorsal and anal very small, the former situated about tiro-fJiirds of the way bettveen the first 

 dorsal and (he caudal and u-ith its base in front of the perpendicular from the beginning of the anal fin. Pec- 

 toral and ventral fins rather large, especially the former, which are of a broad scythe-shape, their length being 

 about 1^ of that of the body to the beginning of the caudal fin: ventral fins rather similar to the first dorsal. 

 Caudal fin scythe-shaped, u-ith a triangular flap near the tip of the inferior lobe. Coloration above slaty-gray, 

 underneath irhitc, these two colours being interspersed on the lower part of the sides. 



^^'^ 





Fi;;. .'528. Fox-Shark (Alopias vuljies), ' g nat. size. After Todd, in Bbown-Goode. 



Si/n. '^Xiartrj^, .\ristot., De Aiiim. Hist., lil>. VI, capp. X el XI. 

 Singe de mer, Bei.., Xat., Divers. Poiss., p. 88. Viilpe.'', 



KoNDEL., De Pise, p. 387. Sijualu.^ caiida lougiore qimm 

 ipsiini corpus, Akt., Ichtiiyol.. Gen., p. 68; Sijn., png- f")- 



