SPINACID^E. 315 



Family V— SPINACIDiE. 



Spiracles present. Gill-openings narrow. A deep groove along either side 

 of the mouth. Two dorsal fins and no anal. 



This family is divisible into two, the Spinacid^, ■wherein each dorsal fin is 

 preceded by a spine, and the ScYMNUsai, -which have no spines. But in accord- 

 ance with the plan heretofore adopted, I adhere to the nomenclature employed 

 in the National Collection. 



The British genera belonging to this family are as follows : — 



A. ISach dorsal fin is preceded by a spine. 



1. Acanthias. — Teeth rather small, their points placed so obliquely that their 

 inner margin, which is smooth, forms the cutting edge. 



2. Gentrina. — Body somewhat three-sided, with a fold of skin at each angle. 

 Teeth in lower jaw triangular, erect and with finely serrated edges. 



B. No spine before either dorsal fin. 



3. Lcemargus. — Teeth in upper jaw smiall and conical ; those in the lower 

 jaw in several rows, their points placed so obliquely that their inner margin, 

 which is smooth, forms the cutting edge. 



4. Echinorhinus. — Skin with irregularly placed round osseous tubercles. 

 Teeth large, oblique, and several small cusps on each side of the main one. 



A. Each dorsal fin preceded by a spine. 



Genus I — Acanthias, Bisso. 

 AcanthorJiinus, sp. Blainville : JEutoxycMrus, Gill. 



Spiracle wide and placed imm.ediately behind the eye. Oill-openings narrow. 

 Mouth somewhat arched; no labial fold to jaws, but an oblique groove on either side. 

 No nictitating membrane to eye. Teeth of moderate size with smooth edges, and 

 similar in both jaws; their points are placed obliquely, so that their inner edge 

 becomes their cutting one. Each dorsal fin with a spine. 



Geographical distribution. — The temperate seas of the northern and southern 

 hemispheres. 



1. Acanthias vulgaris, Plate CLX, fig. 2. 



AKai'diae yaXsiig, Aristot. vi, c. 10, ix, c. 27; Athen. vii, p. 294. 



Galetis acanthias. Rondel, p. 373; Gesner, p. 607; Aldrov. p. 399; Jonson, 

 lib. i, p. 27, t. viii, fig. 5 ; Willughby, lib. iii, p. 56, t. B5, f . 1 ; Eay, Synop. Pise, 

 p. 21 ;• Klein, Mss. iii, p. 8, t. i, fig. 5, 6. Mustelus spinax, Belon. pp. 69, 70. 

 Squalus, sp. Artedi, Genera, p. 66, no. 3, Synon, p. 94, no. 3 and Spec. p. 102, 

 no. 1 ; Gronov. Zooph. no. 149 and Mus. Ich. i, p. 61, no. 134. Picked dog-fish. 

 Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) iii, p. 100, t. v, fig. 11, and Picked shark (Ed. 1812) 

 iii, p. 133 ; Low, Orkneys, p. 170. Spinax, Duhamel, Pech. iii, p. 299, pi. xx, f. 6. 



Squalus acanthias, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 397 ; Bloch, t. Ixxzv ; Gmel. Linn, 

 p. 1500; Bonnaterre, Enc. Ich. p. 11, pi. v, fig. 12 ; Lacep. i, p. 270, pi. x, f . 2 ; 

 Bl. Schn. p. 135 ; Donovan, Brit. Pish, iv, pi. Ixxxii ; Turton, Brit. Fauna, p. 114 ; 

 Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 40 ; Blainv. Fauna France, p. 57 ; Johnston, Berwick. Field 

 Club, 1838, i, p. 176; Faber, Fische Isls. p. 29; Fries and Eks. Skand. Fisk. 

 p. 187, t. xlvi ; Gronov. ed Gray, p. 8. 



Spinax acanthias, Cuv. Reg. Anim. ; Bonap. Faun. Ital. Pesc. pi. cxxxix ; 

 Fleming, Brit. An. p. 166 ; Richards. Faun. Bor.-Amer. p. 291 ; Jenyns, Manual, 

 p. 505; Templeton, M. N. Hist. 1837 (2) i, p. 413; Parnell, Wern. Mem. vii, 

 p. 420 ; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 315 ; De Kay, New York Fauna, Fish. p. 359' 

 pi. Ixiv, fig. 210 ; Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (ed. 1) ii, p. 400, c. fig. ; Ayres, Boston 

 Journ. Nat. Hist, iv, p. 288 ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 254 ; Schlegel, 

 Dieren Neder. p. 192, pi. xviii, f. 3. 



Acanthias vulgaris, Risso, Eur. Merid. iii, p. 131 ; Miill. and Henle, p. 83 ; 



