NOTES ON AN ADULT GOBLIN SHARK (MITSUKURINA 

 OWSTONI) OF JAPAN. 



By Barton A. Bean, 



As)iisfanl Curator, JJirision of Fislies. 



In 1897 Prof. Kakichi Mitsukuri, of the University of Tokyo, Japan, 

 brought to the United States one of the most reniarkahle of living- 

 sharks and placed it in the hands of Dr. David S. Jordan, who made 

 it the type of a distinct family of lamnoid sharks (Mitsiikurinidie). 

 The specimen was a young male, being l)ut 42 inches long, and the 11- 

 foot adult female which is the subject of this sketch shows quite a dif- 

 ference in the proportion of certain parts. The rostral appendage 

 and caudal fin of the adult are relatively shorter than those of the 

 yoiuig. In the latter (the type) the distance from tip of rostral append- 

 age to eye slightly exceeds that from eye to last gill-opening, while in 

 the adult it is contained one and one-third times in this distance; the 

 tail of the type is contained but two and three-fourths times in the 

 total length; in the adult, three and one-third times in this same length. 

 The depth of body in the young animal is much greater proportionately 

 than in the adult. As will bo seen by the illustration, the body is 

 remarkably short, only as long as the head in the young, and the head 

 of the adult is two-thirds as long as the body. 



Mr. Owston in forwarding this shark to the National Museum wrote 

 that it was the longest so far obtained, and that they are taken mostly 

 at Kosu, near Odawara, latitude 35° 16' north, longitude 139^ 17' east, 

 where there is a bank of 52 fathoms depth and depths of from 300 to 

 ■100 fathoms close by. Mostly females are taken, and in the spring- 

 time only. It is thought that they resort to the V)ank to breed. 



The shark appears to be fairl}' w^ell known only at the exact locality 

 given; the fishermen style it Tengu-zame, meaning goblin or elfin 

 shark. They are caught m Naname (7-mesh) nets. Oil is extracted 

 from the liver, and the tiesh is used only for fertilizing purposes. A 

 small one has been taken at Okinose, 10 miles south of Misaki, and 

 others, too, have been taken on shark lines along the coast of Izu. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXVIil— No. 1409. 



815 



