BLUE SHARK

Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758)

Usual Size	383cm although off the British Isles to a possible maximum of 230cm
UK Record Weight	BOAT - 218lb SHORE - Vacant 40lb Qualifying weight
Identification	Upper body cobalt blue with a white under belly. The long pectoral fins allow this Shark to glide along in ocean currents.
Habitat	Coastal/Offshore species from the surface down to 150m To be found in relatively cool waters of 14ºC up to waters as warm as 21ºC
Range	The most wide ranging of all the Sharks. To be found in ,most temperate and tropical waters around the world. During very warm summers found in small numbers around Scotland and into the North Sea.
Food	Squid, Mackerel, Herring, Pilchards, Sprats and some bottom living species.
Reproduction	Placentally viviparous (live bearing) Litters from 4/135, usually 20/30. Female Blue sharks do not mature until they are 5 years old (length approximately 220cm) - and probably do not breed for the first time until they are 7 years old. Young born at 40cm, though gravid females are rarely encountered in UK waters.
Additional Notes	The stock populations to be found off the coasts of the UK are mainly juvenile females, under 5 years old. The stocks off the eastern sea-board of America appear to be mature fish
References	A Field Guide to The Sharks of British Coastal Waters - Vas 1991 FAO Species Catalogue 4 - Sharks of The World - Compagno Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean - Whitehead, Bauchot, Hureau, Nielsen, Tortonese Key to the Fishes of Northern Europe - Wheeler

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