Fishes . ped, belong to the family of Dasyatidce. Thisgroup is characterized by the small skate-like teeth and liythe non-extension of the pectoral rays on the head. The skin issmooth or more or less rough. These animals lie flat on the sandybottoms in nearly all seas, feeding on crabs and shellfish. Allhatch the eggs within the body. The genus Vrolophtis has a The True Sharks 21 3 rounded disk, and a stout, short tail with a caudal fin. It has astrong spine, and for its size is the most dangerous of the sting-rays. Urolophtis halleri, the California species, was named for ayoung man who was s
Fishes . ped, belong to the family of Dasyatidce. Thisgroup is characterized by the small skate-like teeth and liythe non-extension of the pectoral rays on the head. The skin issmooth or more or less rough. These animals lie flat on the sandybottoms in nearly all seas, feeding on crabs and shellfish. Allhatch the eggs within the body. The genus Vrolophtis has a The True Sharks 21 3 rounded disk, and a stout, short tail with a caudal fin. It has astrong spine, and for its size is the most dangerous of the sting-rays. Urolophtis halleri, the California species, was named for ayoung man who was stung by the species at the time of its firstdiscovery at San Diego in 1863. Ufolophns jamaicensis aboundsin the West Indies, UrolopJins mundus at Panama, and Urolo-phus fusciis in Japan. None of the species reach Europe. Thetrue sting-ray (stingaree, or clam-cracker), Dasyatis, is morewidely diffused and the species are very closely related. Inthese species the body is angular and the tail whip-like. Some. Fig. 154—Sting-ray, Dos^aiis saiina Le Sueur. Galveston. of the species reach a length of ten or twelve feet. None haveany economic value, and all are disliked by fishermen. Dasyatispastinaca is common in Europe, Dasyatis centriira along ourAtlantic coast, Dasyatis sabiiia ascends the rivers of Florida,and Dasyatis dipterura abounds in the bay of San Diego. Otherspecies are found in trx)pical America, while still others (Dasyatisakajei, kiihlii, zugei, etc.) swarm in Japan and across India toZanzibar. Pteroplatea, the butterfly-ray, has the disk very much broaderthan long, and the trivial tail is very short, its little spine moreoften lost than present. Different species of this genus circlethe globe: Pteroplatea maclura, on our Atlantic coast; Ptero-platea marmorata, in California; Pteroplatea japonica, in Japan; 214 The True Sharks and Pteroplatea altavela, in Europe. They are all very muchalike, olive, with the brown ujipcr surface pleasingly mottledand spotted. Sting-ra
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