FAMILY, IV— SCTLLIID^. 725 



so wide as the orbit. Teeth— mimxie. Fins— the first dorsal is inserted rather nearer the anal than to the base 

 of_ the ventral : the second dorsal situated entirely behind the anal. Colours— hrown, lightest beneath. Body 

 with light vertical bands and some white blotches. 



Habitat. — The only reason for recording this as an Indian species is due to an example at the British 

 Museum being thus marked, and from which the figure is taken. It is stuffed and about 40 inches in length. 



B.— Nasal and buccal cavities confluent. 



Genus, 2 — Gingltmostoma, Miiller and Eenle. 

 Nehrius, Riippell. 



A minute spiracle behind the eye which also is minute. A quadrangular flap formed before the mouth by the 

 conjoined nasal valves, amd which has a free cirrus on either side. A superior and an inferior lip, the latter not 

 extending across the symphysis. Nasal amd buccal comities confluent. Teeth either in mam/ rows with a strong 

 median amd one or two smaller lateral cusps : or else vn merely about three rows of which the foremost only is in 

 use, and each tooth with a con/vex amd serrated edge. Fov/rth and flfth gill-openings situated close together. Bwrapl 

 fins spineless, the first above or behind the ventrals, the second rather in advance of or opposite to the anal. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, Indian Ocean to the Malay Archipelago ; also tropical parts of the Atlantic. 



1. Ginglymostoma MuUeri. 



Gingh/mosioma concolor, Miill. and Henl. Plagios. p. 22, t. vi (not Riippell) ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 80 ; 

 Dum^ril, Hist. Nat. Poiss. i, p. 334. 



Oinglymostoma Millleri, Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 408 ; Klunz. Pisch. R, Meer. 1871, p. 670. 



Snout very short, its length not equalling the width of the mouth. Nasal cirrus short, reaching to the 

 edge of the upper lip. Teeth — in many rows, each with a large central cusp, and three or four lateral ones on either 

 side. Fins — first dorsal opposite the ventral, angles of all the paired fins pointed : second dorsal slightly in 

 advance of the anal, but rather smaller than it or than the first dorsal. Caudal nearly 1/3 of the total length. 



Habitat. — India. Said to attain 8| feet in length. 



Genus, 3 — Stbgostoma. Miiller and Henle. 



Spiracles about the size of the small eye behind which they are situated. Fourth and fifth gill-openings close 

 together. Nasal and buccal comities confluent. Snout obtuse : upper Up thieh with a cirrus on either side. A well- 

 developed labial fold round the angle of the mouth. Teeth small, sometimes triloba, the dental plate being 

 almost quadrangular. Two spineless dorsal fins, the first above the ventral, the second anterior to the anal, which is 

 near the caudal, the latter being very elongate. 



Geographical distribution. — From the Red Sea and East coast of Africa, through the seas of India to the 

 Malay Archipelago, and Formosa. 



1. Stegostoma tigrinum, Plate CLXXXVII, fig. 4 (young). 



Squalus tigrwms, Qmel. Linn. p. 1493; Lacep. i, p. 249 ; Forst. Zool. Ind. p. 24, t. xiii, f.'2 ; Pennant, 

 Ind. Zool. p. 55, t. XV, f. 1. ; Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 11, and Police makwn, pi. xviii (young). 



Squalus longicaudus, Gmel. Linn. p. 1494. 



Squalus fasciatus, Bloch, t. cxiii; Bl. Schn. p. 130 {young). 



Squale tigre, Lacep. t. i, p. 249. 



Scyllium heptagonwm, Riippell, N.W. Fische, p. 61, t. xvii, f. 1. 



Stegostoma fasdatvm, Mull, and Henle, p. 25, t. ii ; Cantor, Catal. Mai. Fis-h. p. 396 ; Bleeker, Plagios. 

 p. 23, and Beng. p. 80 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 148 ; Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. of Bengal, 1860, p. 36 ; 

 Dumeril, Hist. Nat. Poiss. i, p. 336 ; Giinther, Fish. Zanz. p. 140 ; Klunz. Fische Roth. Meer. 1871, p. 672. 



Stegostoma carinatum-, Blyth, Journ. Ass. Soc. of Beng. xvi, 1847, p. 725, pi. xxv, fig.. 1. 



Squalus cirrosus, Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 6. 



Stegostoma tigrinum, Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 409. 



Pollee-mahwm, Eomrasi and OorooJcoolti sorrah, also Potrava (when young) Tel. ; Govungwn sorrah, 

 " monkey-mouthed shark," Tam. 



Head as broad as long. Eye— sm&W, with the spiracle just behind it. Upper lip very thick, like a 

 quadrangular pad, with a barbel on either side. A distinct labial fold round the angle of the mouth, which is 

 slightly nearer the eye than to the end of the snout. Teeth— smsXl, and trilobed. Fims—th.fs origin of the 

 first dorsal is a little posterior to the base of the ventral, it is about as high in front as its base is long, and 

 larger than the second dorsal, which commences a short distance behind it and anterior to the anal. Caudal 

 fin very long, being about 1/2 of the total length and with notch near its lower extremity. A low median, 

 tubercular dorsal ridge, and sometimes another on either side of dorsal fin. Colours- (young) white or bufi', 

 which are in the form of markings, the fish appearing black, with narrow white lines or bands across the head 

 and body, between which are white spots : these take on various forms in different examples. AduUs^i&ymj, 

 or with more or less transverse bands of rounded spots, the colour of the fish being brownish. 

 The favourite food of this fish is Molluscs and Crustacea. 



