Jordan and jRverniann. Fishes of North America. 51 



front of the pectorals; mouth moderate, the teeth very small, numerous, 

 conical, without cusps or serratures; no nictitating membrane; spiracles 

 very small, above the corners of the mouth; first dorsal large, midway 

 between pectorals and ventrals; second dorsal and anal small; caudal I'm 

 lunate, the upper lobe considerably the larger; caudal peduncle keeled; 

 pectorals and ventrals large. Brain very small. A single genus, with 

 probably but one species; the largest of living fishes, pelagic, inhabiting 

 the northern seas. (LAMNID.E, part, Giinther, vin, 394, genus Selache.) 



35. CETORHINUS, Blainville. 

 (BASKING SHARKS.) 



1 Tetroras,* RAFINESQUE, Caratteri, 11, 1810, (angiova). 



L'elorhhiit.i, BLAINVILLE, Journ. Phys., 1816, 264, (gunneri maximus). 



Selache, CUVIER, Regne Animal, Ed. i, 129, 1817, (maximus). 



Polyprosopm, COUCH, Hist. Brit. Fish., I, 67, 1861, (rashleighanus = maximus). 



The characters of the genus are included above. (A'//rof, whale; fiivrj, a 

 shark (Squatina) , from pivrj, a file or rasp, the rough skin of the shark being 

 used for polishing wood and marble. ) 



69. CETORHINUS MAXIMUS, (Gunner). 

 (BASKING SHARK; PELRIN; ELEPHANT SHARK; BONE SHARK.) 



Body rugose, the skin very rough with small spines; head small; snout 

 blunt ; eyes small ; teeth in 6 or 7 rows in each jaw , about 200 in each row ; 

 first dorsal large, triangular, over the space between pectorals and ventrals ; 

 second dorsal much smaller, rather larger than anal; pectorals long, tail 

 large. Gill rakers slender, long and close set, resembling whalebone 

 (hence the name Bone Shark). Largest of the sharks, reaching a length 

 of nearly 40 feet ; found in the Arctic seas, straying southward to Portugal, 

 Virginia, and California. Occasionally taken by whalers in Monterey Bay. 

 It is in general a rare species, but gregarious in the breeding season, num- 

 bers swimming together on the surface, sluggishly, like logs, (maximus, 

 greatest.) (Eu.) 



Strains maximus, GUNNER, Trondhjem Selskabskr., in, 33, 1765, Coast of Norway. 



Selachus maximus, STOKER, Fish. Mass., 229, 1867. 



Selache maxima, GUNTHER, Cat., vin, 394, 1870. 



Cetorhinus maximus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 31, 1883. 



Sqnalus gnnnerianus, BLAINVILLE, Jour, de Phys., 1810, 256, after Gunner. 



Squalus pelf grinus, BLAINVILLE, I. c., 1810, 257, Europe. 



Sqtudus homianus, BLAINVILLE, I. c., 1810, 257, after Everard Home. 



Cvtorhinus shavianus, BLAINVILLE, I. c., 1816, 264, after Shaw. 



fyualus isodus, SAVERIO MAORI, Mem. della R. Ac. Sci. Napoli, 1819, i, 55, pi. 1, fig. 1, aud pi. 2, 



fig. 2, Naples. 



Squalus elephas, LE SUEUR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., n, 343, 1821, New Jersey. 

 Squalus cetaceus, GRONOW, Cat. Fishes, 6, 1854, Norway. 



Squalns rashleighanus, COUCH, Trans. Linn. Soc., xiv, 91, 1825, Cornwall, (a monstrosity). 

 Acanthias blainvillei, CAPELLO, Plagiostomos, i, 21, 1866. 

 Polyprosopus macer, COUCH, Hist. Brit. Fishes, 1, 67, 1861, England. 



* The description of Telroras is apparently taiien from hearsay, and applies to no known shark. 

 It comes nearest the present species, but may be melange of Iwrn* and ll<>ptranchias We have 

 therefore hesitated to substitute Tetroras for Cetorhinus. Tetroras angiora is described as having 

 "two dorsals; one anal; four gill openings; tail unequal, oblique; snout blunt; teeth rasp like; 

 a keel on each side of tail; eyes very small; gill openings rather largo; length about 6 feet. 

 Called Anyioca at Palermo," The name Anciova is now applied at Palermo to Heptranchias cmerens, 

 according to Prof. Doderlein. 



