1168 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
Squalus Carcharias ( Ha a- Slier ding), Gunn., Trondbj. Sels. Skr., 
vol. II (1763), p. 330, tabb. X et XI; Lin. (p. p.), Syst. 
Nat., ed. XII, tom. I, p. 400; Fabr., Fna Groenl., p. 127; 
MOll., Zool. Dan. Prodr., p. 38; Rink, Gronl., vol. I, i, p. 
135; vol. II, p. 212. 
Squalus microcephalus, Bl., Schn., Syst. Ichth., p. 135; Kr. 
( Scymnus ), Damn. Fisk., vol. Ill, p. 914; Mgrn, Ofvers. 
Vet. Akad. Fork. 1864, p. 536; 1867, p. 264; Coll., 
Forb. Vid. Selsk. Chrnia 1874, Tillaegsh., p. 212; Malm, 
Gbgs, Boh. Fna, p. 626; Winth. ( Lcemargus ), Naturb. 
Tidskr. Kbbvn, ser. 3, vol. XII, p. 59; Ltkn ( Somniosus ), 
Vid. Meddel. Naturb. For. Kbbvn 1879 — 80, p. 56; Mela 
(Scymnus), Vert. Fenn ., p. 366, tab. X; Jord., Gilb. (Som- 
niosus), Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 16, p. 15; Storm ( Scym- 
nus ), N. Vid. Selsk. Skr. Trondbj. 1883, p. 44; Coll. 
(Somniosus), N. Mag. Naturv. Chrnia, Bd 29 (1884), p. 117; 
Day (Lamar g us), Fish. Gt. Brit., Irel., vol. II, p. 320, 
tab. CLXII, fig. 1 ; Petersen (Somniosus), Vid. Meddel. Naturh. 
For. Kbbvn 1884 — 86, p. 160; Lillj., Sv., Norg. Fna, 
Fisk., vol. Ill, p. 679. 
Acanthorhinus Nonvegianus, Blnvlle, Bull. Sc. Soc. Philom. 
1816, p. 121 (4 -A. Microcephalus , ibid.). 
Somniosus brevipinna, Lesueur, Journ. Acad. Nat. Soc. Pliil., 
vol. I (1818), p. 222; Stor. (Scymnus), Mem. Amer. Acad. 
Arts. Sc., N. ser., vol. IX (Boston 1867), p. 235, tab. 
XXXVIII, fig. 2; Mor. (Lcemargus), Hist. Nat. Poiss. Fr ., 
tom. I, p. 361. 
Squalus borealis, Scoresby, Acc. Arct. Peg., vol. I, p. 538, 
tab. XV, figg. 3 — 5; Flmng (Scymnus), Brit. Anim., p. 
166; Yarr. (Greenland Shark), Brit. Fish., ed. 1, vol. II, 
p. 403; Mull., Hle (Scymnus, Lcemargus), Plagiost., p. 
93; Nilss. (Scymnus), Skancl. Fna, Fisk., p. 724; Couch, 
Fish. Brit. Isl., vol. I, p. 57, tab. XIII; Dum., Hist. Nat. 
Poiss. (N. su. a Buff.), tom. I, p. 455 ( + Scymnus [Lce- 
margus'] brevipinna , p. 456); Gthr (Lcemargus), Cat. Brit. 
Mus., Fish., vol. VIII, p. 426. 
Squalus glacialis , Fab., Fisch. Isl., p. 23; Nils., Prodr. Ich- 
thyol. Scancl., p. 116. 
Scymnus micropterus, Val., Nouv. Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat., tom. 
I (1832), p. 454, tab. 20. 
Squalus (Scymnus) Gunneri, Richards., Fna Bor. Amer., part. 
Ill, p. 313. 
Obs. As we were compelled above to recognise the Linneean 
specific name of catulus for the Black-mouthed Dog-fish, although it 
was originally intended for another species, here too we must acknow- 
ledge the specific name of carcharias, which was transferred by Gun- 
Nerus in precisely the same manner to the Greenland Shark, all the 
more, since Linn^us himself included Gunnerus’s determination among 
the synonyms of his own Squalus Carcharias. 
Next to the Basking Shark the Greenland Shark 
is the largest Scandinavian fish. Specimens so large as 
those known from hearsay by Gunnerus — nearly 8 m. 
in length — must be reckoned as exceptions; and the 
statement may perhaps depend on a confusion with the 
Basking Shark. Both Faber and Rink give 18 feet 
(56 dm.) as the greatest length of the Greenland Shark, 
and according to the latter its average length on the 
coast of Greenland is only 25 — 28 dm. Nilsson as- 
sumed the maximum length might be fixed at 15 feet 
(4 V 2 in.). In Trondhjem Fjord, according to Storm, 
the Greenland Shark hardly exceeds a length of 3 m. 
The body is of a handsome and regular, com- 
pressed fusiform shape, sometimes, like that of the Sagre, 
somewhat approaching in front to the so-called hog- 
backed form. The head is strongly arched above, the 
snout convex both above and below, anteriorly depressed 
towards the edges, which meet in a tip parabolically 
rounded in the horizontal plane. The back is broad 
in front, in uninterrupted continuation of the arched 
head; but behind the perpendicular from the base of 
each pectoral fin it is compressed, and acquires in the 
median line a carina, anteriorly imperceptible, gradu- 
ally ascending, and continued by the anterior margin 
of the first dorsal fin. The median line is also some- 
what keeled between the two dorsal fins and in front 
of the caudal fin, the beginning of these fins being 
consequently difficult to fix externally. The peduncle 
of the tail, however, behind the second dorsal fin and 
the cloaca, often — as may occasionally be observed in 
the two preceding species — has a longitudinal impres- 
sion both above and below, and on the lower part of 
each side we find, as in the Picked Dog-fish, a more or 
less distinct longitudinal carina. The greatest breadth 
of the body, just in front of the branchial apertures, 
is about 2 / 3 of the greatest depth, at the beginning of 
the first dorsal fin, where the breadth is more variable, 
according to the distension of the abdominal cavity®. 
The peduncle of the tail also shows considerable varia- 
tion of form, the breadth (thickness) of its shallowest 
part varying at least between 71 6 and 82 % of the 
depth thereof. 
During the growth of the body from a length of 
15 to one of 19 dm. the length of the head decreases 
from about 20 1 / 2 to 18 V 2 % of that of the body 0 . The 
eyes are round and rather small, measuring Vs — Vio 
of the length of the head and about 1 / 5 — 1 / 6 of the in- 
terorbital width. They are closely surrounded by the 
margins of the orbits, which are not very large. The 
a According to Valenciennes the breadth at this point is 7 / ]0 of the depth. 
b According to Valenciennes down to 50 %. 
‘ Id a stuffed specimen 3 ] / 2 m. long the length of the head is only 17 V 2 % of that of the body; but the measurement is, of 
course, uncertain. 
