Fun Blue Shark Facts For Kids

Blue sharks are pelagic sharks. They are named after their distinct blue color and smooth and white underside. They have an elongated and sleek physique and a cone-shaped long snout. The blue shark is one of the species of requiem shark. Blue sharks are viviparous creatures. They are known for their huge litter sizes of about 25 to 100 pups. The blue shark tends to swim only at the surface of the ocean. Oceanic and pelagic species like blue sharks are found in tropical waters and temperate ocean bodies from the surface to about 1150 ft depth (350.5m). They are hence not found in water bodies like the Red Sea or the Gulf of Mexico. Blue sharks do not look as intimidating as other bigger sharks like tiger sharks and great white sharks. They are comparatively smaller too.

This article includes information like blue shark Prionace glauca food, blue shark predators, various blue shark facts, blue shark diet, blue shark scientific name, deep blue shark size, blue shark conservation, big blue shark attack.

You may also check out whale shark facts and frilled shark facts!

‍

What type of animal is a blue shark?

The blue shark is a pelagic species of requiem shark. They belong to the family of Carcharhinidae.  

What class of animal does a blue shark belong to?

The blue shark belongs to the class of Chondrichthyes.

How many blue sharks are there in the world?

It is difficult to estimate the exact number of blue sharks left in the world. But the species has acquired the status of Near Threatened by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Every year nearly 20 million blue sharks are caught for bycatch, commercial fishing, and unlawful poaching. Other species of sharks face similar illegal plundering by humans for their highly profitable commercial utilization.  

Where does a blue shark live?

Pelagic species like blue sharks find habitat in temperate and tropical waters around different continents. Their numbers decline in the warmer equatorial waters. It means the blue shark prefers residing in cooler parts of the ocean ranging from 12-20 degrees.

What is a blue shark's habitat?

The habitat of blue sharks is the open sea. In the temperate ocean, a blue shark comes up to the surface of the shores sometimes to observe divers, especially where the continental shelf is narrow. But in tropical waters, the shark could inhabit depths of up to 1150 ft (350.5m). Blue sharks are spotted at the coasts of various continents except for Antarctica. Blue sharks can be found in Newfoundland, Argentina to Canada in the Western Atlantic.

Who do blue sharks live with?

Sharks move in small to medium-sized schools.

How long does a blue shark live?

A blue shark can live for up to 20 years.

How do they reproduce?

The blue shark is a viviparous creature. It develops the young pups in the uterus, nourishes them by the yolk sac placenta, and gives birth to live young ones. The gestation period of a blue shark ranges from 9-12 months. The maturity spans of the males and females differ. A male shark matures at the age of four to five and females mature at five to six.

To ascertain the mature specimens within the species, male blue sharks bite the females during the courtship period. Female blue sharks develop skin texture three times thicker than their male counterparts. Mature females will have a bite or scar over their bodies. They give birth to large litters containing about 25-100 pups at the same time. The largest recorded litter birthed by a blue shark was about 135 pups.    

What is their conservation status?

According to the IUCN, the blue shark is Near Threatened status. The status of Near Threatened means that the species will not immediately be endangered but it is inching towards it. Blue sharks are illegally poached for a variety of commercial uses. Their livers are used for producing oil, their skin is used to produce high-quality leather and their fins are used in the preparation of shark fin soup. It is estimated that every year nearly 20 million blue sharks are caught. They are also caught under the prospect of game fishing for their swimming abilities and appealing look.    

Almost every shark species is widely hunted all over the world for commercial purposes. Blue sharks face the same oppression. They are captivated and kept at commercial aquariums for recreational sightseeing. Blue sharks are not known to thrive in captivity. The longest time a blue shark could survive captivity was 873 days. It was at the Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium in Japan. Ordinarily, blue sharks cannot survive for more than three months in captivity.  

What do blue sharks look like?

Blue sharks have a long, sleek, and slender body that can grow up to 10 ft (3 m) long. The upper part of blue sharks is bright and dark blue, the sides are on the lighter side and the underside is crisp white in color. If the blue shark is isolated and removed from the waters, the color immediately switches to complete dark gray. The counter coloration of blue sharks helps them in camouflaging effectively in the open seas.

Blue sharks have large eyes situated over their mouths and a long conical snout. The snout of blue sharks is longer than the width of their mouths. A blue shark has 14 teeth on each side of the upper jaw.

Blue sharks have extremely long pectoral fins which are as long as the measurement from its snout to the gill slit at the posterior. The two dorsal fins are closer to the pelvic fin and it is moderate.

Blue sharks have relatively larger and asymmetrical tails. The upper lobe of the tail of the shark is bigger than the lower lobe.

The upper teeth of blue sharks are overlapped at the base and are triangular. They also have serrated edges at the end of their teeth.

How cute are they?

Blue sharks do not possess any physical attributes that would be considered cute or appealing. They do have slender and long bodies and a cone-shaped snout that has a smooth point. Their counter-shaded bodies give them a striking look but the coloration fades as soon as the shark is removed from the waters.  

How do they communicate?

Blue sharks communicate with each other through body language, body gestures, and other movements. In some aquariums, they were seen doing acrobatics at the surface of the water when there was a potential prey in sight. Blue sharks are social in behavior. They are curious and come up to the surface of the shore to witness divers and boats. A blue shark can hear a beating heart from 20 miles away.

How big is a blue shark?

A blue shark can grow as long as 13.1 ft (4 m) and could weigh up to 400 lbs (181.4 kg). It is slightly bigger than lemon sharks in length and teeth. It could measure the same size as that of a nurse shark.

How fast can a blue shark swim?

Blue sharks are excellent swimmers. They can swim at a rapid pace if they are chasing prey or are being threatened. Their torpedo-like slender bodies enable them to swim gracefully. Their tails and large pectoral fins help them to swim at greater distances.

Blue sharks are highly migratory in nature due to their swimming abilities. It is one of the reasons for their poaching too. Under normal circumstances, blue sharks could be lethargic and swim slowly.  

How much does a blue shark weigh?

The weights are different for males and females. A male blue shark roughly weighs around 60-120 lb (27.2-54.4 kg) whereas a female shark could weigh about 205-400 lb (93-181.4 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Among the species of blue sharks, there are no specific terms for a male and a female shark but a hierarchy is formed on the basis of size, sex, etc. They are also seen moving in all-male and all-female groups.  

What would you call a baby blue shark?

A baby blue shark is called a pup.

What do they eat?

Blue sharks are carnivorous predators like the majority of species of sharks. They feed on cuttlefish, squids, pelagic octopuses, herring, turtles, lobsters, crabs, shellfish, small sharks, seabirds, silver hake, white hake, red hake, pollock, cod, butterfish, tuna, sea raven, swordfish, mackerel, and more!    

Are they aggressive?

Blue sharks do not have an aggressive temperament like other species of sharks. In fact, there have been only four human fatalities caused by their bites from 1580 to 2013. But they will not refrain from attacking if they are provoked or threatened. So they are not dangerous until provoked.

Would they make a good pet?

Since blue sharks are predators in nature who like to prey, they are not suitable as pets.

Did you know...

The meat of blue sharks, although edible, is not safe to eat since they contain high levels of mercury. Blue sharks are great travelers and can swim long distances. One of the significant threats to blue sharks is tetrahylidean tapeworms. Blue sharks make a definitive host to these parasites. Shark pups are frequently born in summers or spring. Blue sharks do not have bones in their bodies, their skeletons are made up of cartilage and connective tissues.  

How many blue sharks are killed by fishing operations per year?

Nearly 20 million blue sharks are caught annually by fishing operations and other activities every year.

How long would a blue shark survive in captivity?

Blue sharks don't do well in captivity. They can live up to around three months. The longest time a blue shark lived in captivity was 873 days.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these red drum facts and basking shark facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable blue shark coloring pages.