Prionace glauca Jaws
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Scientific name: Prionace glauca
Common Name: Blue Shark
The maximum Size is 8ft it can weight up to 270 lbs it can be found in all oceans both inshore and offshore.
The body of this elegant shark is long and slim, with a slender head and a long, pointed snout. As its name implies, the blue shark is blue -- dark blue on top, bright blue on the flanks, and abruptly white on the underside. Many consider the blue to be the most beautiful of all sharks because of its large eyes and velvety blue skin. It has three rows of functional teeth in its jaw, and there are 14 or 15 serrated teeth on the top and bottom rows. Long-sickle shaped pectoral fins pointed at the ends are yet another identifying characteristics of this unique fish. It has been verified to a length of 13 feet.
Blue sharks range worldwide in tropical and temperate seas, far from land as well as along the fringes of continental and insular shelves. In temperate waters, blues swim near the surface, but in tropical areas they are usually found in deeper, cooler water. Blue sharks range from southern Chile to the Gulf of Alaska and they are known to migrate long distances. Blues tagged off the American east coast have turned up off Spain, in the Straits of Gibraltar and in the equatorial north-central Atlantic. Apparently, blue sharks use the Gulf Stream to reach Europe, ride other currents down the West African coast and pick up the Atlantic North Equatorial Current for their return to the Caribbean.
Female blue sharks are prolific, bearing live large litters the size of the which depends on the size of the mother. More than 100 pups have been counted although most birthing contain far fewer. The variation in number of pups is greater than in any other shark whose reproductive habits are known. Because females are often love-nipped during mating, their skin can be as much as three times the thickness of males.
Blue sharks often travel in groups, but not tightly formed schools. They feed heavily on small bony fishes, herrings, sardines, anchovies and especially squid. In fact, there is footage of blues leisurely gorging themselves on masses of squid. They also eat lobsters, shrimp and crabs and will feed on whale carcasses when available. As for danger to humans, the answer is "yes". They have harassed swimmers and divers, and several attacks on people have been recorded. The blue shark is a popular game fish with anglers and commercially is taken on long lines, hook-and-line, and trawls both pelagic and coastal.
Size |
Item # |
Price | ||
 |
10 3/4" X 7 1/4" | BLUE5 | $75.00 | |
 |
11" X 12" | BLUE10 | $90.00 | |
 |
12" X 14" | BLUE14 | $105.00 | |
 |
14" X 13" | BLUE15 | $120 |