Mating scars reveal mate size in immature female blue shark Prionace glauca

• Published in: Journal of Fish Biology
• Main Authors: Calich, H. J., Campana, S. E.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2015
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; North West Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jfb.12671; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fjfb.12671; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jfb.12671

The objective of this study was to determine the size and maturity status of the male blue sharks Prionace glauca attempting to mate with small, immature females in the north‐west Atlantic Ocean. The relationship between male curved fork length ( L FC ) and jaw gape was used in conjunction with the diameter of the mating scar to estimate the L FC and infer the maturity status of the male shark that produced the mating scar. The results indicate that mature males with a mean ± s.d . L FC of 218 cm ± 23 cm were attempting to mate with sexually immature females.