Blue Shark
Prionace glauca

Physical Description:

• A large, graceful, slim shark with large eyes
• Usually dark blue in color with unmistakably long pectoral (side) fins
• Name comes from their blue coloration, unique among sharks
• Males reach a maximum length of 12 feet but usually around 9 feet in length
• Females reach a length of 7 feet in length
• Mature females often have bite scars from mating

Range:

• Worldwide oceans

Habitat:

• Live in temperate and tropical seas
• Found in the open ocean far from the coasts

Reproduction

• During most of year males and females live in different regions of ocean
• Travel long distances to come together briefly during mating season
• Mating is via internal fertilization
• Males may bite females aggressively during mating so females have thick protective skin
• Females give birth to live young after 9-12 months
• Litters can be up to 100 pups, though rarely that large

Diet:

• Primarily small squid, as well as crustaceans, small to large fish, seabirds, and even other, smaller species of sharks

Predators:

• Orcas, larger sharks, such as the great white shark and shortfin mako shark 

Interesting Facts:

• Blue sharks are possibly the most wide-ranging shark in the world.
• The Blue shark can travel tens of thousands of miles in a year, and can travel across whole ocean basins multiple times in their lifetime.
• They use their large pectoral fins to ride the currents to conserve energy while migrating.

Sources: Sharks of the World: An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date; Oceana; Newfoundland Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture; NOAA SWFSC; Sharks.org

Photo: Walter Heim