Blue shark
Prionace glauca
- Scientific name
- Prionace glauca
- Group
- Sharks & Rays
- Rarity
- Epic
- Where to see it
- Temperate Atlantic / English Channel, Mediterranean
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Near threatened
Did you know?
The blue shark gets its name from the vivid blue tint of its back, which camouflages it from above against the deep blue of the open ocean. It's one of the most far-ranging sharks, capable of crossing entire oceans during its migrations.
What defines this group — Sharks & Rays
The cartilaginous fish: not a single bone in the body, a skeleton made entirely of cartilage.
- A cartilage skeleton, lighter and more flexible than bone.
- No gill cover: five to seven gill slits open on the sides or underneath.
- Pores on the snout — the ampullae of Lorenzini — pick up the electric field of prey.
Other species in this group
- Common stingray
- Blacktip reef shark
- Small-spotted catshark
- Common torpedo ray
- Bluespotted ribbontail ray
- Thornback ray