52 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



2 small cusps at base, and edges entire. Gill-openings rather 

 large, all in front of pectorals. Spiracles minute, pore-like. Two 

 dorsals, moderate and subequal. Anal similar. First dorsal 

 well behind pectorals. Caudal with notch towards its tip. No 

 caudal keel. Pectorals rather short. 



Voracious sharks of moderate size chiefly of the Atlantic. 

 Represented by a single genus and species on our coast. 



Genus Carcharias Rafinesque. 



The Sand Sharks. 

 Carcharias littoralis (Mitchill). 



Sand Shark. Shark. Shovel Nose Shark. 



Head rather broad and blunt. Tip of snout nearly 3 times 

 in advance of anterior margin of orbit as posterior margin of 

 orbit is anterior to angle of mouth. Snout pointed and pro- 

 truding. Margin of upper jaw somewhat distinctly defined but 

 not prominently. Teeth w^ith a single cusp on either side, but 

 I occasionally wanting. First tooth of both jaws smaller than 

 adjoining ones. In upper jaw on each side 2 very long teeth, 

 follow^ing, and at either side of these another pair somewhat 

 smaller than 2 teeth increase somewhat in length and the re- 

 mainder gradually decrease. In lower jaw teeth decrease gradu- 

 ally from first pair. Nostrils well forward, near extremity of 

 upper jaw. First dorsal in advance of ventrals a space equal to 

 about half length of base of first dorsal. Caudal rather short and 

 broad. Length 8 feet 9 inches. Beesley's Point. (Abbott.) 



Although I have never seen any New Jersey examples it has 

 been reported to me from Stone Harbor. Possibly the shovel 

 nose shark of the fishermen is this species. 



Dr. Dahlgren believes there may prove to be two forms of 

 this species, one ranging but several feet in length and the other 

 large. He has seen examples in the New York Aquarium from 

 the New Jersey coast. 



Carcharias littoralis Moore, Bull. U. S. F. Com., XII, 1892^ 

 P-358- 



