Lost before found: A new species of whaler shark Carcharhinus obsolerus from the Western Central Pacific known only from historic records Author White, William T. Author Kyne, Peter M. Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, Author Harris, Mark F. F. C. Elasmobranch Studies, New Port Richey, Florida, United States of America text PLoS ONE 2019 e 0209387 2019-01-02 14 1 1 24 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209387 journal article 10.1371/journal.pone.0209387 1932-6203 PMC6314596 30601867 12630881 Genus Carcharhinus Blainville Type species. Carcharias melanopterus Quoy & Gaimard , under suspension of the Rules by the ICZN [ 31 ]. Definition. Adapted from [ 19 ]: Small to large carcharhinids with the following combination of characters: an internal nictitating lower eyelid; no spiracles (rarely present in juveniles as minute vestiges); short labial furrows, their length less than 1% TL, the lower barely or not visible when mouth is closed; snout short to moderately long, preoral length always less than 10% TL; internarial distance at least 2.5 times nostril width; teeth blade-like with single cusps, although basal margins of cusps may have enlarged serrae; cusps of upper teeth serrated or smooth; total number files of teeth in upper or lower jaws less than 40; midpoint of first dorsal-fin base usually closer, or at least as close to, pectoral-fin free tip than to pelvic-fin origin; height of second dorsal fin never more than 55% height of first dorsal fin, 60–120% of height of anal fin; second dorsal fin more or less opposite anal fin, its origin usually in front of midpoint of anal-fin base, but rarely over posterior third of anal-fin base; upper and lower precaudal pits present, upper better developed, crescent shaped, wider than long, with a well-defined anterior edge; caudal peduncle without lateral dermal ridges.