SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 31 



Order ASTEROSPONDYLI. The Typical Sharks. 



All but one of the sharks as yet known from the state are placed in this order, 

 characterized by five gill-openings, two dorsal fins without spines, an anal fin, 

 and internal calcareous layers of each vertebra radiating from the central ring. 

 Besides the families given in the following key, there are others which will doubt- 

 less in time be represented in the local fauna by species* of wide distribution. 



Key to the families ami genera of North Carolina typical sharks. 

 i. First dorsal fin over or behind the ventrals; no membrancc for closing the eye. 



ScYLLiORHiNiD^ (genus Catulus). 

 ii. First dorsal fin more or less in advance of the ventrals. 



a. Last gill aperture above base of pectoral fin; membrane for closing eye present. 

 b. Head typically shark-like. 



Galeid^ (genera Mustelus, Scoliodon, and Carcharhinus) . 

 bb. Head atypical, being greatly prolonged laterally. . . . Sphyrnid^ (genus Sphyrna). 

 aa. Last gill slit in front of pectoral fin; no membrane for closing eye. 



Carchariid^ (genus Carcharias). 



Family SCYLLIORHINID^. The Cat Sharks. 



Ovoviviparous sharks with large quadrate egg-cases, the four corners pro- 

 duced into long tubes for attaching the cases to submerged objects; gill-openings 

 small, the most posterior one above base of pectorals; mouth broad, with small 

 teeth in several rows, each tooth with a median cusp and 1 or more cusps on each 

 side; nostrils near to or confluent with mouth; dorsal fins small; anal fin usually 

 anterior to second dorsal; caudal rather long, without median keel. Two Amer- 

 ican genera. 



Genus CATULUS A. Smith. Cat Sharks. 



Very small sharks with nostrils widely separated and near the wide mouth, 

 inhabiting rather deep water in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Of the five 

 North American species, only one is found on the Atlantic coast. {Catulus, 



little cat.) 



4. CATULUS RETIFER (Garman). 

 Cat Shark. 



ScylUum retiferum Garman, Bulletin Museum Comparative Zoology, viii, 233, 1881; 80 miles east of Virginia 



coast in 89 fathoms. 

 Catulus retifer, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 2.5. 



Diagnosis.— Body moderately elongate, head much depressed, mouth broad; teeth 

 small, each with a central cusp and 2 small cusps on each side; first dorsal fin near middle of 

 body; pectorals short and broad; vent anterior to middle of body. Color: light brown, with 

 groups of black lines making an irregular meshwork; yellow beneath, {retifer, net-bearing, in 

 allusion to the markings.) 



Several specimens of this rare shark have been obtained off the South Atlan- 

 tic States and in the West Indies. In August, 1902, the Fish-Hawk collected 10 

 specimens 6 inches long with a 7-foot beam trawl 37 to 40 miles southeast of 

 Cape Lookout in 141 and 172 fathoms of water. Maximum length about 1 foot. 



* Among these are (1) the mackerel shark (Isuriis dekayi), ranging from the West Indies to Cape Cod; (2) 

 the porbeagle, or mackerel shark (Lamna coniuhica), a very large pel-agic form "ccasionally taken on the -At an- 

 tic coast; (3) the man-eater shark or great white shark (Carckarodon carcharias), which is found m all temper- 

 ate and tropical seas and reaches a length of 30 feet. 



