Family: Carcharhinidae, Requiem Sharks view all from this family

Description To 12'7" (3.8 m); 437 lbs (198 kg). Very slender, fusiform; dark blue above, bright blue on sides, white below; tips of pectoral, dorsal, and anal fins dusky. Snout long, narrowly rounded, length longer than width of mouth. Teeth serrate, triangular and curved in upper jaw, narrower in lower jaw. Pectoral fins very long, narrow, and somewhat falcate. Dorsal fins relatively small, no dermal ridge. Keel on caudal peduncle weak; caudal fin falcate.

Warning Although it is not particularly aggressive, the Blue Shark often circles divers and has attacked on occasion.

Habitat In shallow coastal waters over sand or mud, and far out at sea.

Range In Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Gulf of Maine, rarely to Chesapeake Bay, disjunctly to Brazil. In Pacific from S. Alaska to Chile.

Discussion Blue Sharks are common and well known to commercial fishers and whalers. Ordinarily they feed on small schooling fishes; however, they are known to follow vessels for days feeding on offal.