ON THE APPENDICES GENITALES (CLASPERS) IN THE GREENLAND SHARK. 



Other things by: -Die mamiHclien Anhange ohne Stacheb>, and 2) Lcemargus (to wliich L. borcalis 

 [the Greenland Shark |, L.Labordii and L. rostra fits) in which: die Mannchen haben eineu Stachel an 

 den Anhangen;. Bnt whence have M. & H. this Latter information? The work itself tells nothing 

 abont it, and in none of the works cited is fonnd anything abont a spine on the appendage in 

 S. borcalis (and no more in the other species). 



After Professor Lritken having given the cited communication about the propagation of the 

 Greenland Shark the Museum of Copenhagen has got a male specimen of a length of 9 ft. (2835"""), 

 whose ventrals are preserved in the collection; also in this specimen the copulatory appendages are 

 very small as hereafter mentioned, and so far they might serve as a corroboration of the advanced con- 

 jecture, that in this Shark these organs should be rudimentary and functionless. 



As I, however, had some doubts of the correctness of this supposition — as also of the other 

 that the Greenland Shark should be oviparous — I endeavoured during the last cruise of the Ingolf > 

 to get fins of the Greenland Shark for examination, and as far as possible to procure reliable infor- 

 mations of this Shark in all respects. During a sta}' in the close of June 1896 in Dyrefjord, where a 

 manufactory- for train-oil of the Greenland Shark is found, I took the opportunity of connnunicating 

 with a fisher of Greenland Sharks, whom I for some time questioned by means of an interpreter. 

 The conversation was rather difficult, as the man was somewhat embarassed, only answered to my 

 questions, and would not speak himself or give his own opinion. However I got the information 

 that the fishermen know very well to distinguish between male and female, that «eggs» (i. e. the large 

 ovarial eggs) are only found in large specimens, and that the males are smaller than the females; 

 he had however never seen a Greenland Shark smaller than about 3 ells (Danish) '). I drew a sketch 

 of the ventrals for him, and asked, if he had seen the appendages on the ventrals, which he affirmed; 

 then I promised him a reward, if he would obtain for me as nian>- pairs of ventrals as possible, and 

 witli as large appendages as possible, which he might preserve in brine, as also a whole and sound 

 male, as I supposed that I should be back in Dyrefjord about at the time, when he shoidd return 

 to deliver his next cargo of liver, this, as is well known, being the onl)- part of the animal made use 

 of. Circmnstances however would that the .Ingolf* did not return on the Dyrefjord until the beginning 

 of August, and so I did not find the man again. But I found at the manufactory a great deal of 

 pairs of ventrals in brine, all with the appendages and with these in different stages of development, 

 together with a whole male, the last the fisherman had caught; he had during the whole time very 

 carefully kept the last caught male for preservation, and had come on the Dyrefjord with a quite 

 sound specimen, which was also the very smallest he had got; but as I did not return in due time, 

 also this specimen was put into brine. Apj^arently ever\-thing had kept very well by this mode of 

 preservation, the fins at all events excellently; but by the dissection of the whole Shark it soon became 

 apparent that all the internal organs were sadh' damaged: the kidneys and the internal reproductive 

 organs were completely disorganized, so that nothing whatever was to be recognised; not even the 

 renal ducts that use to be rather resistant, were to be traced at all. I was thus disappointed in my 



'I Collett however states that specimens of a length of about 2 ft. sometimes have been obtained; probably 

 newborn youngs. Meddelelser om Norges Fiske i Aarene 1879— S3, p. 118. Nyt Mag. f. Naturv. vol. 29. 



