Morphometric measurements of newborn blue shark Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758) and characteristics of its potential parturition areas in coastal waters of Montenegro (Southeastern Adriatic)

Abstract

          The blue shark belongs to the group of the most widespread pelagic sharks in the world. It inhabits the pelagic zone of almost all warm and temperate seas and oceans. As it is one of the most abundant shark species, it is frequently caught in different types of fishing gear operated in the pelagic zone. This study provides the first data on the reproduction of this species in Montenegrin waters (in the Southeastern Adriatic Sea). Six newborn blue sharks were found during our field excursions. For three of them, detailed morphometric measurements are presented. Alongside the newborns, a gravid female was also recorded. The data was collected in the period from April to October 2017. According to the published literature and the data presented in this paper, species reproduction is likely to be seasonal. A review of the areas where the specimens were recorded was carried out in order to infer if the adult females choose them specifically as their parturition grounds.