580 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. us 



genus Carcharias. They make no mention of Cuvier's (1829) treat- 

 ment of the two forms. 



The earhest reference which I can find citing Russell's names in 

 binomial form is Bleeker (1853). Bleeker merely gave a compiled 

 list of species and their Russell equivalents. On page 9 he lists the 

 two as follows: 



Carcharias palasorra Cuv. (spec, dub.) Pala sorrah No. 14 

 Carcharias sorrakowa (spec, dub.) Sorra kowah No. 15 



On page 80 he lists them as follows: 



Carcharius (?) palasorra Cuv. Pola sorrah Russ. No. 14 

 Carcharius (?) sorrah kowah Blkr. Sorrah kowah Russ. No. 15 



Bleeker, then, must be recognized as the author of these two names 

 with the species based on Russell (1803). 



Carcharias palasorra can be recognized from Russell's figure as 

 the same as Scoliodon laticaudus and a junior synonym of it. The 

 position of the origin of the pectoral fin beneath the fifth gill-opening 

 places it here. Carcharias sorrakowa can be either of two species, 



Rhizoprionodon acutus or R. oligolinx; it is doubtful that its exact 

 identity will ever be known. To consider it the same as R. acutus is to 

 place it in junior synonymy; to consider it the same as R. oligolinx is to 

 give it senior synonymy. This would not be bad were it not for the 

 fact that C. sorrakowa almost universally has been considered a senior 

 synonym of the common species Scoliodon laticaudus. To recognize 

 the name for a species of Rhizoprionodon would be confusing. This is 

 involved further by the fact that the name commonly used for R. 

 oligolinx has been S. palasorra. Nomenclature can best be served, 

 I think, by recognizing C. sorrakowa as a synonym of R. acutus and 

 by fixing the name through the designation of a neotype. This I have 

 done in the discussion of R. acutus (p. 598). 



Material. — india: ISZZ 7830 (1: ca. 420 mm., dried); Bombay, 

 ANSP 77533 (2: 176-196), MNHM 1123 (1: 518, female, here desig- 

 nated lectotype of Carcharias (Scoliodon) laticaudus), USNM 196135 

 (1: 542), BMNH 1889.2.1.4151-8 (11: 163-420), NFIS [no number] 



