ExploreFish

Blue Shark

Prionace glauca

Blue Sharks are sleek and beautiful with a blue back and white belly! They love to swim in deep ocean waters.

Habitat: Deep ocean waters

Appearance

The Blue Shark has a long, slender, torpedo-shaped body with a striking iridescent blue color on its back that fades to white underneath. Its very long, pointed pectoral fins distinguish it from other sharks, giving it a sleek appearance.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassElasmobranchiiOrderCarcharhiniformesFamilyCarcharhinidaeGenusPrionace

Blue Shark

Interesting facts

Blue Sharks are born live, with pups called 'pups' inside their mothers for up to a year!

Their amazing blue color helps them camouflage perfectly in the open ocean water.

These sleek sharks can have over 100 babies at once, though usually around 25 to 50.

They are one of the most widespread sharks, found in almost every ocean on Earth!

Special abilities

Blue Shark has a strong sense of smell and special pores (ampullae of Lorenzini) that help them detect tiny electric fields of prey.

Blue Shark can dive hundreds of meters deep in the ocean to hunt in cold, dark waters.

Measurements & details

Length: 180-380 cm
Weight: 27-205 kg
Lifespan: 15-20 years
Swim Speed: 40 km/h
Max Depth: 600 m
Water Type: Saltwater

Diet & Feeding

Blue sharks are expert hunters, mostly eating squid and smaller fish found in the open ocean.

Age differences: Young sharks primarily eat small fish and crustaceans; adults focus more on squid and larger fish.

Primary Foods

squid
mackerel
herring
octopus
crustaceans

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

hunts

Japanese flying squid

Todarodes pacificus

A major food source for blue sharks across their range.

hunts

Atlantic mackerel

Scomber scombrus

Small schooling fish often preyed upon by blue sharks.

eaten by

Killer whale

Orcinus orca

Large marine predators that sometimes hunt blue sharks.

parasitizes

Blue shark copepod

Pandarus sinuatus

A small crustacean that lives on the skin of blue sharks.

Traits

Wildlife

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Carnivorous

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Speedster

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Aquatic

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Marine

Dive into the vast, salty waters of the ocean, teeming with an incredible diversity of life, from tiny plankton to giant whales! It's a watery wonderland.

Migratory

Follow incredible journeys across the world! These animals travel far and wide at different times of the year, often to find better food or warmer places.