Page 138 - (DK) Super Shark Encyclopedia: And Other Creatures of the Deep

WOLF OF

THE SEA

BLUE SHARK

When sharks come together and work as a pack they
can make a terrifying hunting team. Blue sharks live in
the open ocean. To catch their favorite prey—schools
of fish and squid—they use the same tactics as a wolf.
Groups of blue sharks swim around a school so that the
prey bunch closer together. They then sweep in to grab
a mouthful. Blue sharks prefer lower temperatures than
other reef sharks, but are found in oceans around the
world. When they reach the tropics, they swim deeper
to stay in cooler water.

AT A GLANCE

• SIZE 7¼–12 ft (2.2–3.8 m) long • LOCATION Worldwide except
• HABITAT Mainly in the open in the coldest polar waters; one of
the most widespread of all sharks
ocean, but occasionally coming
near to coastlines; younger sharks • DIET Mainly fish and squid of the
live in more coastal waters open ocean

Narrow
lobes on tail Long, conical snout

STATS AND FACTS

SWIMMING SPEED
25 mph (40 km/h)
Blue sharks give birth
mph 10 20 30 to live young and have
some of the biggest
km/h 20 40 60 litters among sharks.

BLUE IN THE SEA
GESTATION PERIOD
9–12 The blue color of this shark
is a perfect disguise as it circles
RECORD LITTER SIZE
months 5 10 15 a school of krill. Like many
sharks, it has a white underside,
13 5 a feature that hides it from
anything looking up into the
sunlight from below.
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