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Biological characteristics of blue shark, Prionace glauca, in the Mediterranean Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2009

Persefoni Megalofonou ,
Dimitris Damalas  and
Gregorio de Metrio
Persefoni Megalofonou*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Section of Zoology–Marine Biology, University of Athens, Greece
Dimitris Damalas
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Section of Zoology–Marine Biology, University of Athens, Greece
Gregorio de Metrio
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Health and Welfare, University of Bari, Italy
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: P. Megalofonou, Department of Biology, Section of Zoology–Marine Biology, University of Athens, Greece email: Pmegalo@biol.uoa.gr
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Abstract

A total of 870 blue sharks ranging from 70 to 349 cm in total length (LT) were sampled from the swordfish longline fishery in the Mediterranean Sea during the period 1998–2003. Males predominated and the sex-ratio (1:1.8) showed an increase in the proportion of males as size of fish increased. Gonad observation revealed that females smaller than 120 cm LT had immature ovaries with no mature oocytes, while mature ovaries with visible yolky oocytes were present in specimens larger than 203 cm LT. Ovary weight varied from 4–137 g and maximum oocyte diameter was 21.1 mm in mature females. All males smaller than 125 cm LT were immature while males larger than 187 cm LT were mature, as indicated by the presence of heavily calcified claspers, which extended beyond the posterior end of the pelvic fins. Length at 50% maturity (L50) was estimated to be 202.9 cm LT for males and 214.7 cm LT for females. Age estimates using caudal vertebrae ranged from 1 to 12 years, while age at 50% maturity was estimated at 4.9 years for males and 5.5 year for females.

Keywords

blue sharksex-ratioagegrowthsexual maturityMediterranean
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 89 , Issue 6 , September 2009 , pp. 1233 - 1242
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

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