150 The Greenland Shark, by Mr Andrew Brotherston. 



This specimen, although not the same colour when fresh, has become 

 a cinereous brown when dry. The whole body, to the extremities of 

 the fins, is covered with scattered, unequal, curved spines, having a broad 

 star- shaped base. The points of the spines, excepting those on the 

 snout are directed backwards, so that when rubbed from head to tail, 

 the skin feels smooth, but in the opposite direction, rough. The blunt 

 rounded snout projects about 5 inches over the mouth, which is semicircular ; 

 when open it is nearly round. The form and arrangement of the teeth in 

 each jaw are very different ; upper separate, with a broad base, suddenly be- 

 coming slender, conical, somewhat lance-shaped, the points curved laterally 

 from the centre. In the mandible they are arranged in seven * compact rows, 

 overlapping and recumbent on each other, the cusps like the teeth of a saw, 

 with the points diverging from the centre to each side. The three outer 

 rows are well developed, the others get gradually weaker inwards ; only one 

 row of teeth is in use at a time, the others lying flat. The upper appear to 

 be adapted for holding, the lower for cutting, all are capable of being folded 

 inwards. The nostrils which are near the extremity of the muzzle are large, 

 oblique, with a division in the middle, covered by a triangular flap. When 

 skinning the head, I observed several canals, filled with a transparent jelly- 

 like substance, which were connected with numerous pores, some of which 

 were arranged in lines, others in clusters. They appear to be the source of 

 the mucous secretion, with which the body of the fish is covered. The eyes, 

 which are large, are six inches from the muzzle; iris blue, pupil emerald 

 green. Spout-holes four inches behind the eyes, and situated a little higher. 

 Branchial openings, five on each side, unequal in length, the first longest — 

 2 in., the last If in., all are situated in front of the pectorals. The relative 

 distances of the anterior part of the fins from the snout, are : — pectorals, 1 ft. 

 8 in. ; first dorsal, 2 ft. 7 in. ; second dorsal, 4 ft. 3 in. ; caudal, 5 ft. 3 in., 

 the upper lobe of which is 15 in. long ; lower, 9 in. The posterior part of the 

 base of the ventrals are directly under the origin of the second dorsal ; no anal 

 fin. The dorsal fins are preceded by an elongated keel on the back, the first 

 longest ; a similar keel on each side at the smallest part near the tail. The 

 fins in this species are very small-, which accounts for its sluggish move- 

 ments. The pectoral, ventral, and upper part of the caudal fins, are obliquely 

 truncated ; both dorsals are much attenuated backwards. 



Like all the Sharks the stomach was large and capacious ; the 

 throat so wide that whatever could get into the mouth, would 

 be swallowed without difficulty. The following were the con- 

 tents of the stomach : — A Lump-Sucker ( Cyclopterus lumpus) in a 

 partially digested state had been disgorged during transit. The 

 bones of several other fish, one of them about two feet in lengthy 

 were still in it when opened, but all too far gone for 

 identification. The eyes (the pupil) of fish appear to be difficult 



* ' ' The rows of teeth vary in number from two to six, probably depending 

 upon the age of the fish." — Yarrell's "Brit. Fishes," Ed. 3d, vol. ii., p. 528. 



