The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1905-01-05
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.
Of the numerous kinds of sharks
noteworthy on account Of their size
there are four in the front rank. These
are the sleeper shark, the man eater
shark, the basking shark and the whale
shark
The sleeper shark, whose scientific
name (Somniosus microcephalus, mean
ing sleepy small headed fish, fits it SO
admirably, appears to have developed
it's body at the expense Of it's brain, for
it is a sluggish, stupid glutton, about
six times as long as the average man.
Its ll1ue is in the arctic regions, but it
a04.lt.-ias makes visits as far south as
1-sls3..1 jl&ct,S, Oregon and the British
ieos Ii Is Usually seen lying quietly
tie #GrIace, apparently doing, and
Is 3.lg approached by vessels, but
r4nct..22s when hungry it rouses itself
an 3e3 in search of it's prey, fercely
att czinG and injuring whales, appar
cnIg Unconscious of the great differ
c2&o in ter respective sizes
Ono Of the largest and perhaps the
rl02t formidable of sharks is the man
eater" or great blue shark (Carcharo-
don carcharias). 1t roams through all
temperate and tropical seas and is
everywhere dreaded It's maximum
length is forty feet, and it's 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 ov-
erboard, just as they would swallow
any other food. How easy it would
be for man eater to devour d person
may be judged from the finding Of a
whole hundred pound sea lion in the
stomach Of thirty foot shark on the
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 mayfmus), Is an inhabitant
of the polar seas, but Is occasionally
observed as far south as Virginia and
California and some years ago was
not rare on the English and New Eng
land coasts 1t reaches a maximum
length of fifty feet and is exceeded in
size by only three or four animals now
alive. Provided with small teeth, it
feeds on fishes and floating crustaceans
and is not of a ferocious disposition. 1t
is dangerous only because of its great
bulk, and when attacked it's powerful
tail easily demolishes small boats. The
basking shark was formerly hunted on
the coasts of Norway and 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 thir-
ty-eight feet long were 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 animals, except
a few kinds Of whales, is the whale
shark (Rhineodon typicus), originally
discovered at the Cape Of Good Hope,
but now known in Japan, India, South
America, Panama, California and else
where, specimen having recently been
obtained in Florida. This shark is
said to attain a length of sevents feet
and is known to exceed fifty feet.-St
Nicholas