Blue shark

Blue shark
Temporal range: Miocene-recent[1]
A blue shark in the Azores
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[3]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Prionace
Cantor, 1849
Species:
P. glauca
Binomial name
Prionace glauca
Range of the blue shark

The blue shark (Prionace glauca), also known as the great blue shark, is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae and the only member of its genus which inhabits deep waters in the world's temperate and tropical oceans. Averaging around 3.1 m (10 ft) and preferring cooler waters,[4] the blue shark migrates long distances, such as from New England to South America. It is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

Although generally lethargic, they can move very quickly. Blue sharks are viviparous and are noted for large litters of 25 to over 100 pups. They feed primarily on small fish and squid, although they can take larger prey. Some of the blue shark’s predators include the killer whale and larger sharks like tiger sharks and the great white shark.[5] Maximum lifespan is still unknown, but it is believed that they can live up to 20 years.[6] They are one of the most abundant pelagic sharks, with large numbers being caught by fisheries as bycatch on longlines and nets. [7]

  1. ^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera (Chondrichthyes entry)". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. ISBN 9780877104506. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference iucn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference fishbase was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Compagno, Leonard J. V. (1984). Sharks of the World: An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date (PDF). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. pp. 521–524, 555–61, 590.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference orcashark was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Sharks, Emerging Species Profile Sheets, published by the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in Emerging Species Profile Sheets. Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Canada. Archived October 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Nakano, H., & Stevens, J. D. (2008). The biology and ecology of the blue shark, Prionace glauca. Sharks of the open ocean: Biology, fisheries and conservation, 140-151.