Prionace glauca

(Linnaeus, 1758)


Blue shark
Classification: Elasmobranchii Carcharhiniformes Carcharhinidae

Reference of the original description
Linné, C. (1758)
Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, regnum animale, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus differentiis synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Stockholm, Laurentii Salvii, 824pp.

Image of the original description
No image in first description.

Synonyms / new combinations and misspellings
Carcharhinus glauca, Carcharhinus macki, Carcharhinus mackiei, Carcharias aethiops, Carcharias ciliaris, Carcharias glaucus, Carcharias gracilis, Carcharias hirundinaceus, Carcharias pugae, Carcharias (Prionodon) glaucus, Carcharias (Prionodon) hirundinaceus, Carcharinus glaucus, Charcharias glaucus, Galeus glauca, Galeus glaucus, Glyphis glauca, Glyphis glaucus, Glyphis mackiei, Hypoprion isodus, Hypoprion (Hemigaleus) isodus, Isuropsis glaucus, Isurus glaucus, Prionace aff. glaucus, Prionace glaucum, Prionace glaucus, Prionace mackiei, Prionace sp., Prionodon glaucus, Prionodon sublamia, Squalus ciliaris, Squalus glaucus, Squalus rondeletii, Squalus (Carcharinus) glaucus, Thalassinus rondeletii, Thalassorhinus rondeletii, Thalassorhinus vulpecula

Types
Prionace glauca
Holotype: XXXX: No types known;
Carcharias gracilis
Holotype: DBCUCH: ?
Carcharias hirundinaceus
Holotype: MNHN: A-9656
Carcharias pugae
XXXX: No types known;
Hypoprion isodus
Holotype: MNHNC: ?
Hypoprion (Hemigaleus) isodus
MNHNC: not cat.
Prionace mackiei
Holotype: NMNZ: P01120;
Squalus ciliaris
Holotype: ZMB: 4458
Squalus rondeletii
XXXX: No types known;


Description :


Citation: Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758): In: Database of modern sharks, rays and chimaeras, www.shark-references.com, World Wide Web electronic publication, Version 03/2024

Please send your images of "Prionace glauca" to info@shark-references.com

Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758), © FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Ebert, D.A. 2014. On Board Guide for the Identification of Pelagic Sharks and Rays of the Western Indian Ocean. Reproduced with permission, illustration by Marc Dando, Wildlife Illustrator
Common names
deu \(T\) Blauer Hai, deu \(T\) Blauhai, deu \(T\) Großer Blauhai, spa Aquella, spa Azujelo, spa Azulejo, spa Ca-mari, spa Caila, spa Cailón, spa Chiri, spa Chirimoya, spa Lija, spa Melgacho, spa Melgago, spa Quella, spa Sarda, spa Taburó, spa Tiburon azul, spa Tiburón, spa Tiburón limón, spa Tintoleta, spa Tintorera, spa Verdemar, fra \(T\) Bleu, fra \(T\) Cagnot, fra \(T\) Cagnou, fra \(T\) Empereur, fra \(T\) Peau bleue, fra \(T\) Pei can, fra \(T\) Requin bleu, fra \(T\) Requin peau bleue, fra \(T\) Requin squale, fra \(T\) Requin tchi, fra \(T\) Tintourella, fra \(T\) Verdoun, eng Blue dog, eng Blue poninter, eng Blue shark, eng Blue whaler, eng Blue whaler shark, eng Great blue, eng Great blue shark, eng Great blue whaler, eng Shark, eng Tribon blou, ita Cacciutieddu de mari, ita Cagna, ita Cagnizza blu, ita Cagnoleto, ita Calandruni, ita Can, ita Can da denti, ita Can turchin, ita Canesca, ita Celeste, ita Cialandruni, ita Cialestru, ita Gialestru, ita Moretta da denti, ita Musiedde, ita Smerije, ita Squalo azzurro, ita Squalo verdesca, ita Verdalrola, ita Verdarolo, ita Verdesca, ita Verdone, ita Verdoro, ita Verdun, ita Virdeddru, ita Virdeddu, ita Virdisca, ita Virdiscu, por Bico-doce, por Cação-azul, por Cação-focinhudo, por Cação-mole-mole, por Focinhudo, por Guelha, por Guelha azul, por Lombo-preto, por Mole-mole, por Pas modrulj, por Quelha, por Tintureira, por Tubarão azul, por Tubarão-azul, por Tubarão-de-focinho, Huta Kahla (malta)

Short Description
A slim, graceful blue shark with a long, conical snout, large eyes, and curved triangular upper teeth with saw edges; pectorals long and narrow; no interdorsal ridge [536]. Dark blue dorsally, bright blue on the sides, white ventrally [536]. Tips of pectoral fins and anal fin dusky [544].

Distribution
Circumglobal in temperate and tropical waters. Western Atlantic: Newfoundland, Canada to Argentina. Central Atlantic. Eastern Atlantic: Norway to South Africa, including the Mediterranean. Indo-West Pacific: East Africa to Indonesia, Japan, Australia, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. Eastern Pacific: Gulf of Alaska to Chile. Probably the widest ranging chondrichthyian. Highly migratory species, Annex I of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea [20076].
First record: 2019: New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean [27359] Source: www.gbif.org

Human uses
fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes; price category: medium; price reliability: reliable: based on ex-vessel price for this species

Biology
Distinct pairing with embrace [17086]. Viviparous [20077], placental [733]; 4-63 young in a litter [544]; 4-135 (usually 15-30) pups [2539], about 35-44 cm at birth. Gestation period ranges from 9 to 12 months [517]. Sexual dimorphism is evident in skin thickness of maturing and adult females (Ref. 49562). Females have thicker skin layer than males of the same size (Ref. 49562). Found worldwide in tropical and temperate seas; a pelagic species, sometimes advancing into coastal waters [17641]. Occurs on the continental shelf (Ref. 75154). Prefer temperatures of 7-16°C; usually found in deeper waters in the tropics (Ref. 5951). A carnivore [17641]. Parasites of the species include: Hepatoxylon squali pleurocercoid, Phyllobothrium dagnallium, Phyllobothrium sp. and Platybothrium parvum (Ref. 5951).

Size / Weight / Age
400 cm TL (male/unsexed; [20241]); max. published weight: 205.9 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 20 years [20200]

Habitat
pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous [17660]; marine; depth range 1 - 350 m [1388], usually 80 - 220 m (Ref. 55193)

Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=5004; taxonomic note: da Silva Rodrigues-Filho et al. (2023) [31681]: "Isogomphodon oxyrhynchus and Prionace glauca are therefore reclassified and recognized as Carcharhinus oxyrhynchus and Carcharhinus glaucus."

Parasites (arranged by Jürgen Pollerspöck)
Myxosporea
  • Chloromyxum leydigi Mingazzini, 1890 [32173]

Cestoda
Trematoda
  • Helicometrina nimia Linton, 1910 [23771]
  • Paronatrema guillerminae Mendez, 2023 [32073]
  • Paronatrema vaginicola Dollfus, 1937 [23771] [32035]

Nematoda
  • Anisakis simplex (Rudolphi, 1809) [9354]
  • Anisakis sp. [16602]
  • Hysterothylacium hospitum Solovjeva & Pozdnjakov, 1984 [17029]
  • Hysterothylacium sp. [28715]
  • Phlyctainophora squali Mudry & Dailey, 1969 [15949]

Copepoda
Actinopterygii
  • Remora remora (Linnaeus, 1758) [17257]