Distribution:

Circumglobal in temperate and tropical waters. Western Atlantic: New Foundland, 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.

Diagnosis:

Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0. 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. Dark blue dorsally, bright blue on the sides, white ventrally. Tips of pectoral fins and anal fin dusky.

Biology:

Oceanic, but may be found close inshore where the continental shelf is narrow. Usually found to at least 150 m. Reported from estuaries. Feeds on bony fishes, small sharks, squids, pelagic red crabs, cetacean carrion, occasional sea birds and garbage. May travel considerable distances (one specimen tagged in New Zealand was recaptured 1,200 km off the coast of Chile). Potentially dangerous to humans. Marketed fresh, dried/salted, and frozen; meat utilized for consumption, hides for leather and fins for soup. Sexually mature at 250 cm long and 4-5 years old. The female gives birth up to 80 young measuring 40 cm long, gestation lasts almost a year. Produces from 4 to 135 young a litter.

Max. size: 400.0 cm

Max.weight: 200 Kg

Environment: pelagic; depth range 0 - 350 m

Climate: subtropical; 7 - 21°C; 66°N - 55°S

Canary Islands country information: Name: Aquella, Quella, Sarda Re