1382 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Dec. 



Carcharias (Prionace) melanopterus, Quoy et Gaimard. 



Squalus carcharias minor, Forskal : Descr. 20. 



Squale requin, Lacep. V. 169, Tab. 8, Fig. 1. 



Carcharias melanopterus, Quoy et Gaim. Freycin. Voy. PI. 43, 



Fig. 1, 2. 

 Squalus ustus, Cuv. R. A. II. 388 ( ! ). 



Squalus spallanzanii, Lesueur : Journ. Acad. Philad. II. P. 2, 351. 

 Carcharias melanopterus, Bennett : Life of Raffles, 693. 

 Carcharias melanopterus, Riippell : Chondropt. 3. 

 Carcharias (Prionodon) melanopterus, M. u. H. 43, Taf. (Teeth.) 

 Carcharias melanopterus, Temm. et Schl. Faun. Japon. 

 Carcharias (Prionodon) melanopterus, Richardson: Rep. 1845, 



194, 317. 

 Carcharias (Prionodon) melanopterus, Bleeker : Verh. Batav. Gen. 6. 



Head above, back, sides and fins lead-grey, or light bluish grey ; 

 anterior margins of the fins, (all the margins of the caudal,) and point 

 of the pectorals bluish black ; beneath white. Iris silvery grey with 

 a blackish line bordering the vertically oval pupil. 



Habit: — Straits of Malacca. 



Red Sea, Waigiou, New Holland, Timor, Java, Sumatra, 

 Madura, China Sea, Japan. 



Total length : 3 ft. 



In young individuals the teeth of the upper jaws have denticulated 

 margins, but in the adult they are denticulated in both jaws. The 

 teeth of the lower jaw are smaller and narrower than those of the 

 upper. The anterior dorsal fin commences a little behind the termina- 

 tion of the pectorals ; the posterior commences a little in front of the 

 anal and extends to the posterior third of the latter fin. The points 

 of all three are but moderately elongated. The ventrals commence at 

 the posterior third of the distance between the commencement of the 

 pectorals and the anal. The male appendages are shorter than the 

 internal margin of the ventrals. The fourth and fifth branchial open- 

 ings are situated above the pectorals. The snout is short and rounded 

 in some, moderately elongated and pointed in others. The scales are 

 minute, with from three to five keels. Single individuals occur at all 

 seasons in the Straits of Malacca. 



