The Sharks— Part Two 329 



feared, but, since its shoreline appearances are rare, its sinister reputa- 

 tion to date rests upon mere suspicion. 



The White-Tipped shark's coloring is not always so distinctive as its 

 name implies. It body is light gray or pale brown to slaty blue above; 

 yellowish or dirty white below. The tips of its dorsal fins are sometimes 

 pure white and sometimes grayish. 



The White-Tipped is known to range the warm waters of the Atlan- 

 tic, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. [The Australian 

 so-called "White Tip shark," found also in the Indian Ocean, the Red and 

 the Arabian Seas, and around many Pacific island groups, is quite an- 

 other species, Triae?iodo?7 obesus, a member of the family Triakidae] . 



Bay Shark 

 (Carcharhmiis lamiella Jordan and Gilbert, 1882) 



This big shark, which grows to at least 12 and probably 15 feet, 

 was once so common in San Diego Bay that it became familiarly known 

 as the Bay shark. In recent years, for reasons unknown, it has been 

 more often found at the southern end of its range, which dips down to 

 the central western coast of Mexico. 



The Bay shark is certainly a potentially dangerous shark. It closely 

 resembles the Bronze whaler (Carcharhinus ahenea Stead, 1938) of Aus- 

 tralia. The Bronze whaler, like the Bay shark, is of a golden bronze 

 color. Australians say that its body gleams in the water "like a bright new 

 penny," albeit an unlucky one. 



Whalers 



Several species of dreaded sharks are called Whalers in Australia and 

 New Zealand. The common name was given these voracious sharks by 

 old-time whalemen whose catches were invariably attacked by swarms 

 of sharks. Whaler is also a loosely applied common name for some sharks 

 found in South African waters. 



The Common whaler or Black whaler of Australia {Carcharhinus 

 macriirus Ramsey and Ogilby, 1887) is described by Whitley as "very 



Black whaler (Galeolamna [Carcharhinus] macrurus). 



Courtesy, Sydney and Melbourne Publishing Co. from 

 The Fishes of Australia by G. P. Whitley, 1940 



