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Prionace glauca

File:Tiburón_azul_(Prionace_glauca),_canal_Fayal-Pico,_islas_Azores,_Portugal,_2020-07-27,_DD_31.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Prionace glauca

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Also known as blue shark

species of fish

AI overview

The blue shark (Prionace glauca) is a sleek, fast-swimming shark found in oceans worldwide, recognizable by its bright blue coloring on top and white belly. It matters because it's one of the most abundant sharks in the open ocean and is heavily fished for its fins and meat, making it important to understand for ocean health and fisheries management.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Near Threatened

blue shark

Prionace glauca

SPECIES

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassElasmobranchii
  4. OrderCarcharhiniformes
  5. FamilyCarcharhinidae
Habitatmarine, brackish
Observations recorded158,081

Maximum longevity: 20 years (wild)

via GBIF · IUCN

Museum specimens

Specimen records
592
With media
68
Family
Carcharhinidae
Collections
CICIMAR-IPN, SDNHM, CUMV, IGL-UNAM, MHN-UABCS, UCMP
Recorded in
Mexico, United States, Bahamas

~18 min read

Encyclopedic overview

The blue shark (Prionace glauca), also known as the great blue shark, is a species of requiem shark in the family Carcharhinidae which inhabits deep waters in the world's temperate and tropical oceans. It is the only living species of genus Prionace. An extinct species, P. clarki, is known from teeth from California of the Late Pliocene. Averaging around 3.1 m (10 ft) and preferring cooler waters, 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. Their maximum lifespan is still unknown, but it is believed that they can live up to 20 years. They are one of the most abundant pelagic sharks, with large numbers being caught by fisheries as bycatch on longlines and nets.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Prionace glauca” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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