Sirte_ Although blue sharks, Prionace glauca, prefer cooler waters according to scientists, catching one in the warm waters off Sirte coast in the southern Mediterranean coast of Libya can be an important topic for researchers.
A Libyan owner of a small fishing boat from the city of Sirte, Hamid Bariqi, managed to catch the rare blue shark.
Bariqi attracted by the strange type of the fish he caught he informed environment authorities in the city who identified the catch and confirmed that it is the blue shark as the internationally well known prionace glauca.
It remains whether this is one of kind blue fish catch in the almost 2000 killometers of the Libyan Mediterranean coast or there are many more waiting to be found.
According to the free encyclopedia, the blue shark (Prionace glauca) is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae that inhabits deep waters in the world’s temperate and tropical oceans. Averaging around 3.1 m (10 ft) and preferring cooler waters, the blue shark migrates long distances, such as from New England to South America. It is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
Although generally lethargic, they can move very quickly. Blue sharks are viviparous and are noted for large litters of 25 to over 100 pups. They feed primarily on small fish and squid, although they can take larger prey. Maximum lifespan is still unknown, but it is believed that they can live up to 20 years, the free encyclopedia said.