Journal of Ecosystem & Ecography
Open Access

Abstract

The blue shark, Prionace glauca is the sole representative of the genus Prionace. A highly migratory species, this pelagic shark is cosmopolitan and occupies tropical and temperate waters. In the Mediterranean and mainly in the Algerian Basin, studies on Prionace glauca are rare or discontinuous. As a part of an ongoing research project for the collection of data on the biology and eco-ethology of certain species of shark on Algeria’s coast, the information collected by the project observers along the Algerian coast (East Region, Central Region and West Region) were analyzed. The dataset includes geographic location information of some catches, gear, size and sex. A total of 268 blue shark record ranging from 59 to 312 cm TL (122 were observed between 2007 and 2008, 146 individuals observed between 2014 and 2017), were considered for the sex ratio study by size, season and region. Catches are higher in the Western and Central region; the eastern region is less represented. The sex ratio varies by region and size classes. The spatial distribution of females according to size classes suggests that the center region is probably a mating area. The projection data and results on a GIS (Geographical Information System) has allowed better understand the various aspects of the distribution of this species and the potential for the presence of distribution models in the Algerian Basin.

Biography

E-mail: mendilhamza@gmail.com