iir,8 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



Si/ualus Carchafias {llaa-Sh-ierdiitij), Gunn., Troudlij. Sels. Skr., 



vol. II (1763), p. 330, tabb. X et XI; Lin. (p. p.), Syst. 



Nat., ed. XII, torn. I, p. 400; F.^bb., Fna GvoeiiL, p. 127; 



MCll., ZooI. Ddii. Prod,:, p. 38; Ki.nk, Gnml., vol. I, i, p. 



135; vol. II, p. 2 1-2. 

 6'rjiialiis microceplmtii.':, Bi,., Schn., Si/xt. Iclitli., p. 135; Kb. 



('^cymnus'), Danm. Fid-., vol. Ill, p. 914; Mgbn, Of vers. 



Vet. Akad. FSrli. 1804, p. r,?,6; 1807, p. 264; Coi.L., 



Foih. Vid. Selsk. (Jhriiia 1874, Tilliugslj., p. 212; Mai.ji, 



Gbys, boh. Fna, y. 020; WiNTli. {LiBinargus), Naturh. 



Tidskr. Kbhvn, ser. 3, vol. XII, p. 59; Ltkn {Somniosus), 



Vid. Meddel. Naturh. For. Kbhvn 1879—80, p. 56; Mela 



{Scymnus), Vert. Fenn., p. 366, tub. X; JORU., Gilb. {Som- 



niosus). Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 16, p. 15; Storm (6'cytn- 



7ius), N. Vid. Selsk. Skr. Troudhj. 1883, p. 44; Coll. 



(Somiiiosus), N. Mag. Naturv. Chrnia, Bd 29 (1884), p. 117; 



Day (Lcemargus), Fish. Gt. Brit., Irel., vol. II, p. 320, 



fab. CLXII, fig. 1 ; Petersen (Somuiosus), Vid. Meddel. Naturh. 



For. Kbhvn 1884—80, p. 100; Lill.i., .So., Nortj. Fna, 



Fisk., vol. Ill, p. 079. 

 Acanthorhinus Noru-eijianus, Blnvllb, Bid). Sc. Soc. Philoni. 



1816, p. 121 (+ A. Microcephalus, ibid.). 

 SoinniosuK breuipinna, Lesueur, Jonrii. Acad. Nat. Soc. Phil., 



vol. I (1818), p. 222; Stor. (Scyinnin), Mem. Amer. Acad. 



Arts. Sc., N. ser., vol. IX (Boston 1807), p. 235, tab. 



XXXVIII, fig. 2; MOR. {Lcemargm), Hist. Nat. Poiss. Fr., 



toni. I, p. 3C1. 

 S'/nalus liorealis, Sooresby, Acc. Ari:t. Reg., vol. I, p. 638, 



tab. XV, figg. 3 — 5; Flmng {iScymnus), Brit. Aniia., p. 



106; Yarb. (Greenland Shark), Brit. Fish., ed. 1, vol. II, 



p. 403; MUll., IIle (.Hcymnus, Lcemargus), Ptagiost., p. 



93; Nilss. (iScymnns), Skand. Fna, Fisk., p. 724; Couch, 



Fish. Brit. Isl., vol. I, p. 57, tab. XIII; DOm., Hist. Nat. 



Poiss. (N. su. a Buff.), torn. I, p. 455 ( + Scymnus \_L(b- 



viargus\ brevipinna, p. 456); Gthr (Lcemargus), Cat. Brit. 



Mus., Fish., vol. VIII, p. 420. 

 Squalus glncicdis. Fab., Fisch. Is!., p. 23; Nils., Prodr. Ich- 



thyol. Scanil., p. 116. 

 Scytnnus micropterus, Val., Nouv. .\ini. Mns. His(. Nat., toin. 



I (1832), p. 454, tab. 20. 

 Srjualus (Scymnus) Gunneri, Richards., Fna Bor. Amer., part. 



Ill, p. 313. 



Obs. As we were compelled above to recognise the Linna>an 

 specific name of catnlus for the Black-mouthed Dog-fish, although it 

 was originally intended for another species, here too we must acknow- 

 ledge the specific name of carcharias, which was transferred by Gus- 

 nerus in precisely the same manner to tlie Greenland Shark, all the 

 more, since LINN.EUS himself included Gunnebus's determination among 

 the synonyms of his own Squalus Carcharias. 



Next to the Basking Sliark the Greenland Shark 

 is the largest Scandinavian tish. Specimens so la,rge as 

 those known from hearsay by (jtUNNERUS — nearly 8 m. 

 in length — must be reckoned as exceptions; and the 

 statement may perhaps depend on a confusion with tlie 



Basking Shark. Both Fabek and Kink give 18 feet 

 (.t() dm.) as the greatest length (jf the (jreenland Shark, 

 and according to the latter its average length on the 

 coast of (ireenland is only 25 — 28 dm. Nilsson as- 

 sumed tlie maximum leiigtii might be tixed at 15 feet 

 (4'/2 m.). In 'rriindhjem Fjord, according to Storii, 

 the Greenland Shark liardly exceeds a length of 3 m. 



The l)ody is of a handsome and regular, com- 

 pressed fusiform shape, sometimes, like that of the Sagre, 

 somewhat approaching in front to the so-called hog- 

 backed form. The head is strongly arched above, the 

 snout convex both above and below, anteriorly depressed 

 towards the edges, which meet in a tip parabolically 

 rounded in the horizonttd plane. Tiie Ijack is broad 

 in front, in uninterrupted continuation of the arched 

 head; but behind the perpendicular from the base of 

 each pectoral fin it is compressed, and acquires in the 

 median line a carina, anteriorly imperceptible, gradu- 

 ally ascending, and continued by the anterior margin 

 of the fir.st dorsal fin. The median line is also some- 

 what keeled between the two dorsal fins and in front 

 of the caudal fin, the beginning of these fins being 

 consequently ditficult to fix externallj'. The peduncle 

 of the tail, however, behind the second dorsal fin and 

 the cloaca, often — as may occasionally be observed in 

 the two preceding species — has a longitudinal impres- 

 sion both above and below, and (jn the lower part of 

 each side we find, as in the Picked Dog-fish, a more or 

 less distinct longitudinal carina. The greatest breadth 

 of the body, just in front of the branchial apertures, 

 is aljout " ., of the greatest depth, at the beginning of 

 the first dorsal fin, where the breadth is more variable, 

 according to the distension of the aljilominal cavity". 

 The peduncle of the tail also shows considerable varia- 

 tion of form, the breadth (thickness) of its shallowest 

 part varying at least between 71* and 82 % of the 

 depth thereof. 



During the growth of the body from a lengtli of 

 15 to one of 19 dm. the length of the head decreases 

 from about 20'/2 to 18' j, % of that of the body'. The 

 eyes are round and rather small, measuring '/,, — 'lo 

 of the length of the head and about Vs — '/e of the in- 

 terorbital widtii. They are closely surrounded by the 

 margins of the oi'bits, wliich are not very large. The 



" According to Valenciennes the breadth at this point is ' ,5 of the depth. 

 ' According to Valenciennes down to 50 °i. 



' In a stuffed specimen 3', '2 m. long the lengtli of flic lienil is only 17','., % of that of the body; but the measnremert is, of 

 course, uncertain. 



