How often have you across all these amazing blue shark facts such as blue sharks habitat, diet, reproduction, and migratory behavior? The blue shark (Prionace glauca) is a fish recognized by its colored slim body and it belongs to the family of Carcharhiniformes. These sharks display indigo-blue across the back and vibrant blue on the sides. They have elongated pectoral fins, triangular teeth, large eyes, and a conical snout. They are found in the deep waters of the world’s tropical and moderate oceans. Blue sharks fancy living in the cooler waters and they often migrate long distances ranging from New England to South America. Blue sharks are typically lethargic but they can move rapidly through the waters. They prey on squid and small fish, with occasionally larger prey is also taken. Blue sharks can litter up to 100 pups.
Blue Shark Facts
- Blue sharks viviparous and they give birth to 25 – 100 pups after a gestation period of 9 – 12 months. They are also found to litter as much as 135 pups. They reach the maturity age after 5 – 6 years. The average lifespan of blue sharks is 20 years.
- While moving quickly through the water, blue sharks feed on bony fish, squid, and carrion.
- The male blue sharks measure around 1.82 – 2.82 meters (6.0 – 9.3 ft) in length at maturity.
- The females can reach a length of 2.2 – 3.3 meters (7.2 – 11 ft) at maturity. Blue sharks can be as long as 3.8 meters (12 ft).
- Blue sharks display deep blue color from the top while its undersides are white.
- The weight of blue sharks measure around 27 – 55 kg (60 – 120 lb) in males while the large females weigh up to 93 – 182 kg (210 – 400 lb).
- Some of the most common predators of blue sharks are killer whales, tiger sharks, great white sharks, and of course humans.
- Sadly speaking, humans kill around 10 – 20 million blue sharks each year in the name of fishing.
- A migratory blue shark rarely travels clockwise around the Atlantic, apparently riding the Gulf Stream to Europe.
- They can be easily distinguished from other pelagic sharks by their long and narrow pectoral fins along with an extended upper lobe of the tail which is about twice as long as the lower lobe.
- These dark indigo-colored sharks display a faded deep blue color on the sides and white on the belly.
- Females do not give birth until nearly 2 years after mating.
- The length of the young sharks measures around 35 – 44 cm (13.8 – 17.3 inches) at birth. The average litter size is around 30 – 50 pups.
- Many blue sharks won’t be able to survive for more than 13 years, and only a few ones lived up to 16 years.
- The greatest proportions of blue sharks are typically found in the Middle Atlantic States.
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Where Do Blue Sharks Live | Blue Shark Facts
Blue sharks have a cosmopolitan distribution and they occupy all the major oceans ranging from inshore and offshore throughout the North Atlantic. They are found traveling towards Northwest Atlantic waters in the summer in the months of May and October; blue sharks also inhabit the Cape Hatteras to the Grand Bank off the Newfoundland coast.
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During these months, blue sharks are often observed in the Georges Bank areas as well as Gulf of Maine at a depth of about 30.5 – 39.6 meters (100 – 130 ft) off the southern New England coastline. With an emergence of the spring season, large females are the first ones to reach northward and shoreward waters; they are then followed by smaller males and females.
Blue sharks are commonly found in waters with a temperature ranging from 12.8 – 17.8 degrees C (55 and 64 F). However, they can be found in a wide range of temperatures, 7.8 – 27.2 degrees C (46 – 81 F). Depending entirely upon temperatures, blue sharks use different habitats within season.
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Blue sharks occupy the temperate and tropical waters of the world. They are found living at a depth of 350 meters from the surface. Divers often observe these sharks while they approach shore in temperate waters. They live as far south as Chile and as far north as Norway. Blue sharks do not live in Antarctica.
What Do Blue Sharks Eat | Blue Shark Facts
Blue sharks primarily feed on small fish, squid, and some invertebrates such as pelagic octopuses, shrimps, cuttlefish, crab, and lobsters. They prey on large number of small sharks and bony fishes together with the mammalian carrion. They do not often consume tuna.
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