Porbeagle Shark

 

 

Photographs copyright Andy Murch. All rights reserved.

 

View all available Porbeagle Shark Pictures

 

Common Names: Porbeagle Shark, Beaumaris shark, Blue dog, Mackerel shark.

Latin Name: Lamna nasus

Family: Lamnidae  

Identification: Conical snout. Large black eyes. Teeth narrowly triangular. Dorsal fin high with distinct white patch on free rear tip (trailing edge). Caudal fin crescent shaped with pronounced caudal keel. No second caudal keel on lower caudal lobe. Dorsal coloration slate grey. Underside off white.

Size: Maximum recorded size 3m but may exceed 3.7m. More commonly 2m. Size at birth 60-80cm

Habitat: Coastal and oceanic in depths of up to 700m. Migratory.

Distribution: A large but fragile population covers the temperate North Atlantic Ocean. Smaller isolated populations in the southern hemisphere around south Australia, southern South America, South Africa, and far southern Indian Ocean. Southern populations may be linked by migration.

Diet and Behavior: In summer moves inshore possibly in search of prey species. Main diet consists of small bony fishes, dogfish, soupfin sharks (tope) and squid.

Reproduction: Litter size around 4 pups. Foetal sharks feed on unfertilized eggs.

Photographs: Bay of Fundy, Canada.  

Similar species: The Pacific equivalent of the Porbeagle Shark is the Salmon Shark (Lamna ditropis) which can be distinguished by the dark trailing edge of its dorsal fin, white pectoral fin bases, blotchy coloration, and second caudal keel on its lower caudal fin.

The Porbeagle shares part of its range with the Great White Shark and the Shortfin Mako.

Reaction to divers: Very difficult to approach. After chumming for many hours we were finally able to attract two Porbeagle sharks but these left as soon almost immediately. Porbeagles have been known to approach divers (on one occasion aggressively) but they remain elusive in baited situations.

Diving logistics:

There are presently no organized Porbeagle Shark diving charters in North America. In the UK Richard Pierce runs Blue and Porbeagle cage dives.

Other diving locations submitted by readers: 

References and further reading:

Sharks of the World. Leonard Compagno.

Sharks and Rays - Elasmobranch Guide of the World. Ralf M. Hennemann. IKAN.

Other names:

鼠鯊 China Mandarin Chinese

鼠鲨 China Mandarin Chinese

Λάμια Greece Greek

Καρχαρίας Greece Greek

Almindelig sildehaj Denmark Danish

An craosaire Ireland Gaelic

Anequim Cape Verde Portuguese

Arrequim Cape Verde Portuguese

Cação Brazil Portuguese

Cailón marrajo Spain Spanish

Dikburun karkarias Turkey Turkish

Dikburunkarkarias balığı Turkey Turkish

Håbrand Norway Norwegian

Handshaj Sweden Swedish

Håbrann Norway Norwegian

Hámeri Iceland Icelandic

Haringhaai Netherlands Dutch

Haringhaai South Africa Afrikaans

Hemari Faeroe Is Faroese

Heringshai Germany German

Kalb Morocco Arabic

Karharías Greece Greek

Kucina SerbiaMontenegro Serbian

Lamia Greece Greek

Marracho Brazil Portuguese

Marraix Spain Catalan

Marrajo sardinero Spain Spanish

Môka-zame Japan Japanese

Neushaai Netherlands Dutch

Peixe-cão Cape Verde Portuguese

Pixxiplamptu Malta Maltese

Pixxiplamtu Malta Maltese

Psina atlantska SerbiaMontenegro Serbian

Rechinul scrumbiilor Romania Rumanian

Requin-taupe France French

Σκυλόψαρο Greece Greek

Sardo Cape Verde Portuguese

Sildehaj Denmark Danish

Sillhaj Sweden Swedish

Sillihai Finland Finnish

Skylopsaro Greece Greek

Smeriglio Italy Italian

Tonil Albania Albanian

Tubarâo-sardo Portugal Portuguese

Zarlacz sledziowy Poland Polish

Žralok makrelový Czech Rep Czech

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