Latin name

Prionace glauca

Other names

Bluedog, great blue shark, blue whaler.

Identification

The blue shark is very slender and streamlined, with a long and pointed snout that is much longer than the width of its mouth. It has a deep, brilliant blue or dark cobalt to blue or dark cobalt to indigo color on top, gradually transitioning to white underneath. Up to three rows of functional teeth in each jaw, the larger teeth in the upper jaw are "saber-shaped," widely convex on one side and concave on the other. The teeth in the lower jaw are narrower. They usually swim slowly, but can also be some of the fastest sharks.

Distribution

Distributed in temperate and tropical waters. They are most abundant in the cooler temperate waters off the northeastern shores of the United States, England, and California, where there is a large sport fishery.

Habitat

No information

Size

The largest fish exceed 400 pounds. The world record for all-tackle fishing belongs to a 528-pound fish caught off the coast of Montauk, N.Y., in 2001.

Life history and Behavior

No information

Food and feeding habits

Blue sharks are potentially dangerous to humans because they are associated with unprovoked attacks on both people and boats, especially during accidents and disasters at sea when injured people are in the water. They are sometimes called blue whalers because of their habit of chasing whaling vessels. They feed on whale carcasses and ship scraps.

Reproduction

Vivacious, blue sharks give birth to live cubs in large litters, up to 54 at a time (135 have been recorded). They become adults at 7-8 feet in length, but can also reach 13 feet.