Porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus)

Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). To interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.Map Help

Summary

Description

The porbeagle Lamna nasus is a streamlined and robust shark with large conspicuous black eyes. It can reach up to 350 cm in length and is a dark metallic blue colour with a white ventral surface. It has two very strong caudal keels. The caudal fin itself is large and lunate. It has five large conspicuous gill slits. Lamna nasus has a pointed snout, slightly longer and more pointed than the salmon shark, Lamna ditropis. The first of the two dorsal fins is large and triangular and has a white patch on the back of it. The second is considerably smaller.

Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland

Widely distributed throught British and Irish waters.

Global distribution

-

Habitat

The porbeagle shark is an epipelagic oceanic and coastal species, which can be found in surface waters down to a depth of over 700 m but can also occasionally venture into close inshore waters.

Depth range

-

Identifying features

  • Large, robust, streamlined shark reaching up to 350 cm in length.
  • Lunate cordal fin and strong caudal keel.
  • Large dark eyes.
  • Dark metallic blue colour with a paler ventral surface.
  • A second caudal keel is present.

Additional information

The porbeagle shark is less slender than the shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus (Compagno, 1984).

Listed by

Further information sources

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Bibliography

  1. Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 1 - Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fisheries Synopsies, 125, 1-249

  2. Ellis, J.R. & Shackley, S.E., 1995. Notes on porbeagle sharks, Lamna nasus, from the Bristol Channel. Journal of Fish Biology, 46, 368-370

  3. Froese, R. & Pauly, D., 2007. Fishbase. A global information system on fishes. [On-line] http://www.fishbase.org, 2008-02-18

  4. Howson, C.M. & Picton, B.E., 1997. The species directory of the marine fauna and flora of the British Isles and surrounding seas. Belfast: Ulster Museum. [Ulster Museum publication, no. 276.]

  5. Lallemand-Lemoine, L., 1991. Analysis of the fishery for Porbeagle Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788). ICES Council Meeting Papers, C.M.1991/G:71

Datasets

  1. Isle of Wight Local Records Centre, 2017. IOW Natural History & Archaeological Society Marine Records. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/7axhcw accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-27.

  2. NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org.

  3. OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System),  2025. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2025-04-30

  4. Scottish Shark Tagging Programme, 2018. Capture Mark Recapture Data for Scottish Elasmobranchs: 2009-2018. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/znol4z accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-10-02.

Citation

This review can be cited as:

Barnes, M.K.S. 2008. Lamna nasus Porbeagle shark. In Tyler-Walters H. and Hiscock K. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Reviews, [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 30-04-2025]. Available from: https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/67

Last Updated: 25/03/2008