334 SPOTTED SHARK* 



artful fish, but the name of sea-fox is applied to it 

 rather from the length of its tail than from its cha- 

 racter of sagacity. 



SPOTTED SHARK. 



Squalus Catulus. S. rufescens rnaculis numerom parvis nigri- 

 cantibus, naso suhacuminato, pinnis xtentralibus connatis. 



Reddish Sharks with numerous small blackish spots, somewhat 

 pointed snout, and connate ventral fins. 



Squalus Catulus, S. variusj pinnis ventralibus concretise Block, 

 t, 114. 



Lesser Spotted Dog- Fish. Fenn. Bnt. ZooL 



Habit rather slender : length from two to three 

 feet : head large : snout prominent, and slightly 

 pointed : skin rough : body cylindric : colour pale 

 brick-red, marked with very numerous, small, round- 

 ed, blackish or dusky spots : abdomen whitish : 

 both the dorsal fins placed much nearer to the tail 

 than the head : ventral fins connate, large, and of 

 a slightly pointed form : anal fin small : tail long, 

 bilobate, with the lower lobe continued to a con- 

 siderable distance beneath. Native of the Euro- 

 pean seas: a very voracious animal, preying on the 

 smaller fishes, crabs, &c. According to Pennant it 

 breeds from nine to thirteen young at a time, is 

 very numerous on our own coasts, and very injuri- 

 ous to the fisheries : the liver is said to be highly 

 noxious, causing long-continued stupor, succeeded 

 by an universal itching, with a total desquamation 

 of the cuticle. 



