Blue shark  (Prionace glauca)

Range

Blue sharks are probably the most wide-ranging and (at least initially) one of the most abundant of all shark species, occurring in temperate and tropical waters from 50°N to 40°S around the globe (2). A migratory species, they periodically travel clockwise around the Atlantic, seemingly riding the Gulf Stream to Europe, taking various currents down the European and African coasts, and riding the Atlantic North Equatorial Current to the Caribbean region (1).

View a distribution map for this species at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Habitat

The blue shark is a pelagic species occurring in the open ocean near the surface, inhabiting slightly deeper, cooler waters when in tropical environments (3). Although typically an offshore species, the blue shark may venture inshore, especially at night (1).

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