124 Commercial Shark Fishing in the Caribbean Area 



Figure 44 



Family Triakidae, Smooth Dog Fishes. 



Genus Triakis. Resembles Musielus, except that the teeth have 

 2 to 4 pointed cusps. 



Figure 44. Triakis barbouri, Pigmy Dog Fish. 



Description: Trunk slender; the snout broad-oval; the gill open- 

 ings shorter than the horizontal diameter of the eye; 30 to 31 

 teeth on each side of upper and lower jaws, in three to six functional 

 series ; the uppers with three cusps, the middle one of which is 

 much the longest; the lowers similar toward the center of the 

 mouth, but those along its sides and especially those toward its 

 corners have two or three short cusps on the inner side, but none 

 on the outer, with the result that the primary cusps stand at the 

 outer edge of the tooth. The second dorsal fin about as large as 

 the first dorsal; the caudal without a definite lower lobe; the anal 

 a little smaller than the second dorsal and below it ; the pelvics 

 only about as large as the anal ; the pectoral with nearly straight 

 distal margin and with rounded corners. 



Color: Pale gray above; grayish white below; the anterior edges 

 of each dorsal fin and of the caudal (mid-way of its length) often 

 with a dusky blotch. 



Size: This is one of the smallest of sharks. Its maximum length 

 perhaps not greater than about 1 foot 2 to 4 inches. 



Habits: All that is known of its habits is that it has been taken 

 in moderately deep water (between 235 and 335 fathoms). 



Range: So far it is known only off" the north coast of Cuba. 

 It is included because it is so very plentiful there that any trawler, 

 operating at appropriate depths would be likely to take a large number. 



