GRAYFISH

a modern name for the ‘horny dogfish’? (Squalus acanthi as), a small shark which was formerly considered an unmitigated curse by fishermen because of its frequent destruction of their nets and its voracious depredations on other fish and voung crustaceans, but which has in recent years acquired standing as a valuable food-fish, marketed fresh, smoked, and canned. The average market weight is about seven pounds—large specimens reaching fifteen pounds or more. They are viviparous, as the large sharks, with five to nine young to a birth. The by-products of the grayfish are important, its hide beige utilized as shagreen, and its liver oil for dre ing leather.