from 1st dorsal spine tip to apex of 1st dorsal fin is about equal to length of complete dorsal spine; and interspace between 1st and 2nd dorsal fins is about equal to length of 2nd dorsal base. Up to 722 mm long. Not uncommon in 60–120 fathoms, from Cook Strait to Dunedin on the east coast. Known from trawled specimens only. Occurs also off southern Australia. See Garrick, Part XI.

Vertical height of 1st dorsal fin not more than 1/12th of total length, and generally less; trunk more or less subcircular in section, with at most a weak ventrolateral muscle ridge along each side between pectoral and pelvic fins.

1st and 2nd dorsal fins each preceded by a dorsal spine which is well exposed in most but in some may be largely or wholly concealed …. …. …. Family Squalidae.

Upper teeth one-cusped.

Lower teeth similar in shape and size to upper; hypural lobe of caudal fin lacking a subterminal notch.

Anterior margin of nostril not extended as a conspicuous barbel; caudal peduncle with an obvious dorsal precaudal pit, and with a ventrolateral ridge along each side …. …. …. Genus Squalus.

Anterior nasal flap simple, triangular; distance from exposed origin of 1st dorsal spine to 5th gill-opening at least as long as distance from anterior edge of eye to 5th gill-opening …. …. …. Squalus acanthias Linnaeus, 1758, the Spotted Spiny Dogfish, which is greyish or brownish with prominent white spots along the trunk on small and middle-sized specimens, though the spots may be faint or absent on large specimens. Up to 1,200 mm long. Very common as a shelf species in Cook Strait and southwards on the east coast, but known as far north as East Cape and New Plymouth. Elsewhere a circumpolar species in both hemispheres, in temperate, subarctic and subantarctic waters. See Garrick, Part XII.

Anterior nasal flap bilobed; distance from exposed origin of 1st dorsal spine to 5th gill-opening is not more than distance from anterior edge of eye to 2nd gill-opening …. …. …. Squalus blainvillii (Risso, 1826), the Spiny Dogfish which is a uniform greyish or brownish colour without spots at any stage of growth, and which has the inner (posterior) corner of the pectoral fin rounded, and tridentate denticles. Up to at least 1,200 mm long and probably longer. A common shelf species in northern New Zealand, from Cook Strait northwards on the west coast, and East Cape northwards on the east coast, also at the Chatham Islands. Elsewhere circumpolar in both hemispheres, in tropical, subtropical and temperate water, See Garrick, Part XII.

Anterior margin of nostril extended as a conspicuous barbel which reaches behind mouth; caudal peduncle without a precaudal pit or ventrolateral ridges …. …. …. Genus Cirrhigaleus, with one species C. barbifer Tanaka, 1912 known only from two specimens off Japan. Small sharks, not unlike Squalus, but with a highly arched dorsal profile.

Lower teeth dissimilar in shape to upper, and broader; caudal fin with a subterminal notch.

Preoral length distinctly longer than distance from mouth to pectoral origin; fin spines well exposed, the 2nd much longer than the 1st …. …. …. Genus Deania. Represented in New Zealand by D. calcea (Lowe, 1839), the Shovel -nosed Spiny Dogfish in which the vertical height of the 1st dorsal fin is ⅓ to ¼ the length of the 1st dorsal base measured from the origin of the spine; the pectoral fin tips, when pressed to the sides, fall far short of the level of the 1st dorsal spine; and the dermal denticles are high, slender and antlerlike, usually four-toothed. Up to 1,100 mm long. Relatively common in 400–600 fathoms in Cook Strait and southwards to Banks Peninsula Occurs elsewhere in southern Australia, Japan, north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. See Garrick, Part XI.

Preoral length equal to or shorter than distance from mouth to pectoral origin; fin spines short, subequal, and largely or wholly concealed (except in juveniles of Centrophorus squamosus which have well exposed spines, the 2nd much longer than the 1st).

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Inner (posterior) corner of pectoral fin angular or extended …. …. …. Genus Centrophorus, with a species in New Zealand waters, C. squamosus (Bonnaterre, 1788), which has scale-like, overlapping dermal denticles, the blade of each with a high median longitudinal ridge. In juvenile C. squamosus the shape of the inner pectoral corner is about a right angle, or the tip may be sharply pointed and slightly extended; in adults the tip is extended for a distance of about 1/10th of the pectoral fin length. Up to 1,400 mm long. So far known in New Zealand only from two adults (one of them lined from 500 fathoms) and several juveniles (from 200 fathoms) taken off Kaikoura. Found elsewhere off southern Australia, Japan, the Philippines and north-eastern Atlantic. See Garrick, Part VII.

Inner (posterior) corner of pectoral fin rounded.

Upper teeth midway along either side of jaw longer than those toward centre of mouth; dermal denticles of sub-adults and adults with a median longitudinal ridge extending the complete length of blade …. …. …. Genus Scymnodon, including a New Zealand species, S. plunketi (Waite, 1910), the Plunket shark in which the lower teeth are strongly oblique along the whole jaw, and there is no symmetrical median lower tooth. Up to 1,400 mm long. Common in 300–400 fathoms, but recorded from 120–780 fathoms in Cook Strait and southwards to Banks Peninsula. Also known from southern Australia. See Garrick, Part IX.

Upper teeth midway along either side of jaw not obviously longer than those toward centre of mouth; dermal denticles with a circular concavity at anterior end of blade so that a median longitudinal ridge, if present, is restricted to posterior half or two-thirds of blade …. …. …. Genus Centroscymnus.

Distance between inner corners of preoral clefts is about equal to distance between inner corners of nostrils …. …. …. Centroscymnus owstonii Garman, 1906, in which the dorsal spines are almost wholly concealed, and the length of the 1st dorsal base measured from the origin of the exposed spine tip is only ¾ that of the 2nd dorsal similarly measured. Juveniles and sub-adults of this species have tridentate, ridged dermal denticles, but in adults the denticles lack teeth and ridges. Up to 800 mm long, known in New Zealand from only three specimens 584 mm to 800 mm long, lined from 420–600 fathoms off Kaikoura. Occurs elsewhere off Japan. See Garrick, Part VIII.

Distance between inner corners of preoral clefts is about ¼ of distance between inner corners of nostrils. Centroscymnus crepidater (Bocage & Capello, 1864) in which the length of head measured to pectoral origin is 21%–26% of total length. Dermal denticles tridentate and ridged in all growth stages. Up to 900 mm long. So far known in New Zealand from eight specimens, four of these lined from 420–500 fathoms off Kaikoura. Occurs elsewhere in north-eastern Atlantic. See Garrick, Part VIII.

Upper teeth with three to nine cusps.

Lower teeth one-cusped, the cusps strongly reflexed laterally …. …. …. Genus Etmopterus including about 15 species of small, dark-coloured, deep-water sharks, many of them with luminescent organs. Two species in New Zealand as follows.

Dermal denticles on sides of trunk in random arrangement, at least on specimens more than 400 mm long; dark brown above and below with an inconspicuous longitudinal flank mark mostly above the pelvic fin …. …. …. Etmopterus baxteri Garrick, 1957, in which the dermal denticles are single spines, loose spaced and slender in juvenitles but crowded and thorn-like in adults; upper margin of caudal fin not longer than distance from snout tip to pectoral origin and usually less; interspace between rear of pelvic base and subcaudal origin is not more than half the interspace between axil of pectoral and pelvic origin; 2nd dorsal spine long and curved. The largest species of Etmopterus, reaching to 750 mm. Known only in New Zealand waters, from 12 specimens taken in 480–780 fathoms, Cook Strait and Kaikoura. See Garrick, Parts VI and XI.

Dermal denticles on sides of trunk in definite, uniserial, longitudinal rows; greyish or brownish above, black below with a conspicuous, attenuate, longitudinal flank mark above the pelvic fin but extending almost as far rearward as the posterior tip of the 2nd dorsal fin …. …. …. Etmopterus lucifer Jordan & Snyder, 1902, in which the dermal denticles are slender, single spines; and distance from tip of snout to pectoral origin is about equal to the upper caudal margin, and is not more than the interspace between the 1st and 2nd dorsal fins. A small species, up to 396 mm long. Known in New Zealand from five specimens, taken in 100–200 fathoms, Kaikoura and Bay of Plenty. Elsewhere reported from Japan, Philippines, East Indies and Natal. See Garrick, Parts VI, as E. abernethyi, and XI.

Lower teeth with three to five cusps, erect and similar to the uppers …. …. …. Genus Centroscyllium. Small to medium-sized, dark-coloured, deep-water sharks rather like Etmopterus. Some of them, at least, have luminescent areas on the skin. About five species recognised. Known from the North Atlantic, the Falkland Islands, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Gulf, Japan, Hawaii and the Eastern Pacific off Panama. Not yet known from Australia or New Zealand.

2nd dorsal fin not preceded by a dorsal spine; 1st dorsal similarly lacks a spine except in the dalatiid genus Squaliolus, which is not so far known from New Zealand.

Upper and lower teeth one-cusped and dissimilar; upper teeth narrow and raptorial; lower teeth broader and sectorial …. …. …. Family Dalatiidae.

Dermal denticles from side of trunk scale-like, their posterior margins tridentate …. …. …. Genus Scymnodalatias, with one species S. sherwoodi (Archey, 1921) based on a single specimen 803 mm long found washed ashore on New Brighton Beach, Canterbury. Upper teeth needle-like, with asymmetrically twisted cusps; lowers with high, triangular cusps; origin of 1st dorsal fin in front of middle of total length; 1st and 2nd dorsal fins brush-shaped, the 1st smaller than the 2nd. See Garrick, Part V.

Dermal denticles from side of trunk conical, thornlike, or with concave quadrate crowns.

Dermal denticles conical or thornlike, with longitudinal ridging.

Lower teeth with regularly serrated margins …. …. …. Genus Dalatias with a single species D. licha (Bonnaterre, 1788), in which the snout is noticeably short and blunt, and the mouth has fleshy lips with a complex series of fringed crossfolds. Up to 1,800 mm long. Relatively common in Cook Strait and southwards to Otago, but also extending to East Cape on the east coast, and to Foxton on the west coast. 20–480 fathoms. Widely distributed in the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, south-east Africa, Japan and Australia. See Garrick, Part XI.

Lower teeth smooth-edged.

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Origin of 1st dorsal fin is about level with axil of pectoral fin …. …. …. Genus Heteroscymnoides, with only one species, H. marleyi Fowler, 1934, based on a single newly-born specimen, 126 mm, taken off south-eastern Africa. Head long (measured to pectoral origin almost 1/3 of total length), but this is accentuated in all juveniles; caudal axis almost straight, no subterminal notch; dermal denticles triangular thorn-like, with three longitudinal ridges.

Origin of 1st dorsal fin is level with or behind posterior tips of pectoral fins when these are adpressed to side …. …. …. Genus Somniosus, the Greenland or Sleeper Sharks with four or five Northern Hemisphere species ranging from temperate to polar waters, and one Southern Hemisphere species, S. antarcticus Whitley, 1939, based on a sketch of a single specimen stranded on Macquarie Island. Size from little more than 3 feet to 21 feet; the specimen of S. antarcticus was about 8 feet long. Snout short; caudal fin large; dorsal fins subequal in size, the 1st originating near the middle of trunk; upper teeth slender, raptorial, lower teeth broad, reflexed laterally. At least one of the Northern Hemisphere species has luminescent organs.

Dermal denticles with concave quadrate crowns.

Vertical height of 2nd dorsal fin is about ⅔ the length of the 2nd dorsal base …. …. …. Genus Isistius with one pelagic species, I. brasiliensis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824) from the tropical and subtropical belts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Luminescent. 1st dorsal placed well back in second half of body; 1st and 2nd dorsals brush-shaped, subequal; caudal fin sublunate, with definite subterminal notch; pectoral fin small, lobate; upper teeth narrow, raptorial, lower teeth broad, erect and triangular. Up to almost 500 mm long.

Vertical height of 2nd dorsal fin is only ⅛ to ¼ the length of the 2nd dorsal base.

Origin of 1st dorsal fin is well before the middle of the total length …. …. …. Genus Squaliolus with two species; S. laticaudus Smith and Radcliffe, 1912 from 170 fathoms off the Philippines, and S. sarmenti Noronha, 1926, from deep water off Madeira and from very shallow water off Arcachon, France. 1st dorsal spine present, its tip exposed or wholly buried; head pointed and long, measured to pectoral origin about of total length; 1st and 2nd dorsal fins long and low, the 1st dorsal base about half the length of the 2nd; caudal fin sublunate, without subterminal notch. Very small sharks, up to 226 mm long.

Origin of 1st dorsal fin is behind the middle of the total length …. …. …. Genus Euprotomicrus with one pelagic species, E. bispinatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) recorded from the north and north-eastern Pacific, from the South Indian Ocean, and from off Campbell Island, well south of New Zealand (an early record by Hutton, 1872, of a specimen presumed to be from New Zealand, and based on a set of jaws in the Colonial Museum cannot be substantiated according to Phillipps, 1928, p. 224). Head bluntly pointed, its length to pectoral origin about ¼ of total length; 1st dorsal fin slender, brush-shaped; 2nd dorsal fin long and low; length of 1st dorsal base not more than ⅓ the length of the 2nd; caudal fin sublunate, without subterminal notch. Luminescent. Very small sharks, up to 234 mm long.

Upper and lower teeth similar, sectorial, one-cusped in juveniles but with several cusps in larger specimens …. …. …. Family Echinorhinidae, with one genus Echinorhinus, characterised by buckler-like dermal denticles carrying erect or slightly recurved spines.

Dermal denticles sparse, irregularly distributed, large, up to 15 mm or more basal diameter, often with the bases of adjacent denticles fused to give compound