1915] Gudger: The Whale Shark. 357 



the caudal fin they are arranged in a single row close to its upper 

 edge; the second dorsal, the anal, and the ventral fins are with- 

 out spots. Eyes — coppery-red. 



"Form, &c. — Head broad, depressed and somewhat wedge- 

 shaped, the mouth opening directly in front; teeth small, re- 

 curved, closely congregated, and disposed in a broad, transverse 

 belt along the inner surface of each jaw, immediately inside the 

 lips; eyes lateral and situated almost directly behind the angles 

 of the mouth; pupil transversely oval; temporal orifice about 

 three-fourths of an inch in diameter. Vertical section of the 

 body, in front of dorsal fin, somewhat triangular ; and the back, 

 between that fin and the middle of the hind head, slightly arched 

 and strongly keeled; back, posterior to the dorsal fin, fiat and 

 depressed. Sides of body, irregular from two distinct longitud- 

 inal keels, which commence together a little in front of and con- 

 siderably above the upper extremity of the first branchia, and 

 recede a little from each other as they proceed backward. Of 

 these, the lowermost pursues a waved direction, and at last is 

 lost in, or coalesces with, the keel on each side of base of caudal 

 fin ; the upper again pursues a more direct course, becomes forked 

 posteriorly, and both its branches terminate under and anterior 

 to the second dorsal fin; the keel on each side of the tail very 

 strong and thin at the outer edge. At the base of the upper 

 lobe of the caudal fin, there is a transverse groove, to admit of 

 the ready elevation of the fin, a power so necessary to direct the 

 course of the fish in swimming. The first dorsal fin, posteriorly, 

 is deeply emarginate, and the second dorsal fin has its inferio- 

 posterior angle prolonged into a slender sharp point. Pectoral 

 fins large, and their hinder edge, towards its base, with a dis- 

 tinct, large, triangular elongation. Ventral fins very small, and 

 directly below the hinder portion of the first dorsal; anal fin 

 also small, quadrangular, and with its superio-posterior angle 

 prolonged into a point, its anterior angle directly under the hind- 

 er extremity of the base of the second dorsal. Caudal fin deeply 

 forked, the upper portion larger and much longer than the lower. 

 Branchise slightly waved, the first and second much the longest, 

 and, together with the third, are in front of the base of the 

 pectoral fins ; the fourth and fifth are directly over it." 



