Selachia?js Extraordinary 251 



A rare Electric ray {Diplobatis ommata) . 



Courtesy, The New York Zoological Society 



Because Electric rays of one kind or another are found tiiroughout 

 the world, they have many names. One of the printable ones is Abiibun- 

 samu, used on the African Gold Coast. It means "breaker of hands"! 



Family Rajidae—SKATES 



In their own quiet, innocuous way, the skates have been responsi- 

 ble for nearly as much misinformation and nonsense as any other crea- 

 ture in the sea. Their curious egg cases, ranging in size from about 7^/4 

 inches long and 5^2 wide to about 2^/4 by 1 inches, and found on beaches 

 throughout the world, have been called "mermaids' purses," and the 

 skates themselves have been used to perpetuate legends of sea monsters. 

 Dried skates, cut and twisted into weird shapes by puckish sailors— and 

 merchants— have long been sold as curios. Most of this was done by 

 curio dealers— in the Far East in particular. The monstrosities were 

 brought home (Europe, the United States) by sailors who bought them 

 there. Sailors were seldom fishermen in ports where they could have 

 caught them. Dr. Gilbert P. Whitley, the Australian ichthyologist, says 

 that this trade has been going on for hundreds of years. The curios, 

 peddled as Monkey Fish, Dragons, Basilisks, Mermaids, or Sea Eagles, 

 are sometimes called "Jenny Hanivers" by seafarers. 



Naturally malformed skates, whose pectoral fins failed to fuse with 

 their heads while they were embryos, have fooled even ichthyologists. 

 These mistakes of nature were sometimes hailed as strange new species. 

 Actually, what causes these malformations is unknown. Like all animal 



