Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-12-05
SOME GIANT FISHES.
Four kinds of Sharks Which Stand
in the Front Rank for Size.

Four Kinds OF sharks which stand
in the Front Rank for Size.
At the mention of giant fishes many
young folk will at once think of the
. sharks, among which, indeed are
found the largest existing fishes. CT
the numerous kinds of sharks note
worthy on account of their size there
are four in the front rank; these are
the sleeper shark. the man-e;lte
shark, the basking shark and the
whale shark
! name (Somniosus micrOcephalilS,
meaning sleepy small-headed fish
Ats 1t SO admirably, appears to have
developed its body at the expense OF
its brain, for 1t is sluggish, stupid
giutton, about six times as long as the
tic regions, but it sometimes makes
visits as far south as Massachusetts,
Oregon and the British Isles. 1t is
usually seen lying quietly at the sur
face, apparently doing, and is easily
approached by vessels; but sometimes.
when hungry. it rouses itself and goes
in search of its prey. tiercely attack
ing and injuring whales, apparently
Unconscious of the great difference il,
their respective sizes.
One of the largest, and perhaps the
most Formidable, of sharks is the
''man-eater.' or great blue shark
tCarcharoGOn carcharias). 1t roams
through all temperate and tropical
seas, and is everywhere dreaded. Its
| maximum length is forty feet and its
teeth are three inches long. While
! there are few authentic records OF
sharks attacking human beings, there
have undoubtedly been many cases Of
sharks simply swallowing people who
have fallen overheard just as they
would swallow any other food. How
easy 1t would be for a man-eater to
devOur a person may he Judged from
the finding Of a whole hundred
pound sea lion in the stomach of -
thirty-fOOt shark on the California
coast. A certain man-eater. thirty-SiX
and a half feet long. had jaws twenty
/ inches wide inside and teeth two and
half inches long.
The basking shark. known also as
the elephant shark and bone shark
/ CetOrhinus maximuS) is an inhabit-
ant Of the polar seas. but is occasion
ally observed Ms far south as Virginia
and California. and some years ago
was not rare on the English and New
England coasts. 1t reaches maxi
mum lenght Of fifty feet, and is ex-
ceeded in size by only three or fon"
animals now alive. Provided with
small teeth, 1t feeds on fishes and
ferocious disposition. 1t is dangerous
only because of its great bulk, and
when attacked it's powerful tail easily
demOlshes small boats. The basking
shark was formerly hunted on the
coasts of Norway ard Ireland for its
oil. 1t was also sought on the shores
of Massachusetts in the early part of
the last century. and many of these
sharks from Twenty-Five to thirty eight
feet long We're recorded. The liver OF
a large specimen sometimes yielded
| twelve barrels of oil.
The largest of all fishes. the largest
Of all cold blooded animals. and the
largest of all existing whales. is tn"
whale shark Tthineodon typicuS,. orig
/ inally discovered at the Cape of Good
Hope. but now known i'm Japan.
India, South America. Panama. Cali.
fornia and elsewhere. a specimen hay
ing recently been obtained in Florida.
j This shark is said to attain length
Of seventy feet. and ia known to eX-
coed fifty feet.-St. Nicholas.