Genus: Dalatias, Kitefin Shark, Kitefin Sharks

DALATIAS

KITEFIN SHARKS

Head narrow and conical; no nictitating eyelids; large spiracles behind eye; mouth small, lips thick and with pleats or fringes; upper teeth narrow, needle-like, lower teeth very large, compressed, broad, triangular, serrated, larger than upper; 5 small gill slits, all before pectoral; both dorsal fins small, rounded, narrow, first smaller that second, fins are widely separated, without spines, first dorsal closer to pectoral than pelvic; origin of first behind rear pectoral margin; origin of second near pelvic rear base; no anal fin; no lateral ridges between pectoral and pelvic fins; no pits on upper tail base; no keel on tail base; tail fin asymmetrical, lower lobe not expanded, terminal notch under tip of top lobe; skin denticals with low, flat, ridged single points.

This genus has a single tropical to temperate species found at locations scattered across most of the globe, except for the eastern Pacific, including our area.