| Shortfin mako shark | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Division: | Selachii |
| Order: | Lamniformes |
| Family: | Lamnidae |
| Genus: | Isurus |
| Species: | I. oxyrinchus |
| Binomial name | |
| Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 | |
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| Distribution of Isurus oxyrinchus | |
| Synonyms | |
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Theshortfin mako shark (/ˈmɑːkoʊˌˈmeɪ-/;Māori:/ˈmaːko/;Isurus oxyrinchus), also known as theshortfin mako,blue pointer, orbonito shark, is a largemackerel shark. It is commonly referred to as themako shark, as is thelongfin mako shark (Isurus paucus). The fastest known shark species, able to reach speeds of 74 km/h (46 mph) in bursts, the shortfin mako can attain a size of 4 m (13 ft) in length and weigh 570 kg (1,260 lb). The species is classified as Endangered by theIUCN.
"Mako" comes from theMāori language,[3] meaning either the shark or a shark tooth. Following the Māori language, "mako" in English is both singular and plural. The word may have originated in adialectal variation, as it is similar to the common words for shark in a number ofPolynesian languages—makō in theKāi Tahu Māori dialect,[4]mangō in other Māori dialects,[4]mago inSamoan,ma'o inTahitian, andmano inHawaiian. The first written usage is inLee andKendall'sGrammar and vocabulary of the language of New Zealand (1820), which simply states, "Máko; A certain fish".[5][6]Richard Taylor'sA leaf from the natural history of New Zealand (1848) is more elaborate: "Mako, the shark which has the tooth so highly prized by the Maoris".[7]In 1809,Constantine Rafinesque gave the short-fin mako the scientific nameIsurus oxyrinchus (isurus means "the same tail",oxyrinchus means "pointy snout").[citation needed]
Fossil teeth of the shortfin mako are known as far back as theLate Oligocene of Germany. Afterwards, they become more widespread in younger geologic formations throughout Europe, the United States, Japan, Chile, and Africa. Fossil teeth of the extinct species †Isurus desori(Agassiz, 1843) closely resemble those ofI. oxyrinchus, and whether it is synonymous withI. oxyrinchus remains uncertain.[8]
The shortfin mako is a fairly large species of shark. Growth rates appear to be somewhat accelerated in comparison to other species in thelamnid family.[9] A typical adult specimen measures around 2.5 to 3.2 m (8.2 to 10.5 ft) in length and weighs 60–140 kg (130–310 lb). The species issexually dimorphic, with females typically larger than males. Large specimens are known, with a few large, mature females exceeding a length of 3.8 m (12 ft) and a weight of 550 kg (1,210 lb).[9] The largest taken on hook-and-line was 600 kg (1,300 lb), caught off the coast of California on June 3, 2013,[10] and the longest verified length was 4.45 m (14.6 ft) caught off theMediterranean coast of France in September 1973. A specimen caught off the coast of Italy and examined in an Italian fish market in 1881 was reported to weigh an extraordinary 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) at a length of 4 m (13 ft).[11] Yet another fish was caught off Marmaris, Turkey in the late 1950s at an estimated size of between 5.7 and 6.19 m (18.7 and 20.3 ft) making it the largest known specimen of the species.[12] However, this estimate was created using photos of the shark and not at the time of capture so this estimate must be taken with reasonable caution. The authors did not estimate a weight for this specimen.[citation needed]
The shortfin mako shark is cylindrical in shape, with a vertically elongated tail. This species exhibitscountershading, with brilliant metallic blue coloration dorsally and white ventrally. The line of demarcation between blue and white on the body is distinct. The underside of the snout and the area around the mouth are white. Larger specimens tend to possess darker coloration that extends onto parts of the body that would be white in smaller individuals. The juvenile mako differs in that it has a clear, blackish stain on the tip of the snout. The longfin mako shark very much resembles the shortfin mako shark, but has larger pectoral fins, dark rather than pale coloration around the mouth and larger eyes. The presence of only one lateral keel on the tail and the lack of lateral cusps on the teeth distinguish the mako from the closely related porbeagle sharks of the genusLamna.[citation needed] The shortfin mako shark is also credited as being the fastest shark in the ocean, reaching moving speeds of 50 km/h (31 mph) with bursts up to 74 km/h (46 mph). Due to this, it is often known as the "cheetah" or "peregrine falcon" of sharks.[citation needed]
The shortfin mako inhabits offshoretemperate andtropical seas worldwide.[13] The closely related longfin mako shark is found in theGulf Stream or warmer offshore waters (e.g. New Zealand and Maine).[citation needed]
It is apelagic species that can be found from the surface to depths of 150 m (490 ft),[14] normally far from land, though occasionally closer to shore, around islands or inlets.[15] One of the very few knownendothermic sharks, it is seldom found in waters colder than 16 °C (61 °F).[16]
In the westernAtlantic, it can be found from Argentina and theGulf of Mexico toBrowns Bank off ofNova Scotia.[14] In Canadian waters, these sharks are neither abundant nor rare.Swordfish are good indicators of shortfin mako populations, as the former are a source of food and prefer similar environmental conditions.[17] The shark is one of the most commonly found in the waters of New Zealand.[18]
Shortfin mako sharks travel long distances to seek prey or mates. In December 1998, a female tagged offCalifornia was captured in the central Pacific by a Japanese research vessel, meaning this fish traveled over 2,776 km (1,725 mi). Another specimen swam 2,128 km (1,322 mi) in 37 days, averaging 58 km (36 mi) a day.[19]
The shortfin mako shark feeds mainly uponcephalopods and bony fish includingmackerel,tuna,bonito, andswordfish, but it may also eat other sharks,porpoises,sea turtles, andseabirds. They hunt by lunging vertically up and tearing off chunks of their preys' flanks and fins. Mako swim below their prey, so they can see what is above and have a high probability of reaching prey before it notices them. In Ganzirri and Isola Lipari,Sicily, shortfin mako have been found withamputatedswordfish bills impaled into their head and gills, suggesting swordfish seriously injure and likely kill them. In addition, this location, and the late spring and early summer timing, corresponding to the swordfish'sspawning cycle, suggests they hunt while the swordfish are most vulnerable, typical of many predators.[15]
Shortfin mako sharks consume 3% of their weight each day and take about 1.5–2.0 days to digest an average-sized meal. By comparison, thesandbar shark, an inactive species, consumes 0.6% of its weight a day and takes 3 to 4 days to digest it. An analysis of the stomach contents of 399 male and female mako sharks ranging from 67–328 cm (26–129 in) suggests mako fromCape Hatteras to theGrand Banks preferbluefish, constituting 77.5% of their diet by volume. The average capacity of the stomach was 10% of the total weight. Shortfin mako sharks consumed 4.3% to 14.5% of the available bluefish betweenCape Hatteras andGeorges Bank.[20]
Shortfin mako sharks over 3 m (9.8 ft) have interior teeth considerably wider and flatter than smaller mako, which enables them to prey effectively upondolphins,swordfish, and other sharks.[19] An amateur videotape, taken in Pacific waters, shows a moribundpantropical spotted dolphin whose tail was almost completely severed being circled by a shortfin mako. Mako also tend to scavenge long-lined and netted fish.[21]
The bite of a shortfin mako shark is exceptionally strong; the current record for the strongest bite measured for any shark belongs to a shortfin mako that was recorded at Mayor Island in New Zealand in 2020. The shark had been coaxed into biting a custom-made "bite meter" as part of an experiment to measure mako bite force. The strongest bite recorded during the experiment was roughly 3,000 lbs. of force, or roughly 13,000 newtons.[22]
Its endothermic constitution partly accounts for its relatively great speed.[23]
Like other lamnid sharks, the shortfin mako shark has a heat-exchangecirculatory system that allows the shark to be 4–5.5 °C (7–10 °F) warmer than the surrounding water. This system enables them to maintain a stable, very high level of activity,[24] giving it an advantage over its cold-blooded prey.[25]
The shortfin mako is a fast species that can leap into the air when hooked, making it a highly sought-aftergame fish worldwide. Some cases of shortfin mako jumping into a boat after having been hooked have been reported.[26]
The shortfin mako shark is a yolk-sacovoviviparous shark giving birth to live young. Developing embryos feed on unfertilized eggs (oophagy) within the uterus during the 15- to 18-monthgestation period. They do not engage in sibling cannibalism unlike thesand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus). The four to 18 surviving young are born live in the late winter and early spring at a length of about 70 cm (28 in). Females may rest for 18 months after birth before mating again. Shortfin mako sharks bear young on average every three years.[27]A common mating strategy of shortfin mako sharks has been documented as using multiple paternity as a mating strategy, known as polyandry. Polyandry is where the females mate with more than one male. This strategy is used to have a single brood sired by multiple males (multiple paternity) and is a common strategy in diverse taxa, including invertebrates and vertebrates.[28]
Shortfin mako sharks, as with most other sharks, are aged by sectioning vertebrae – one of the few bony structures in sharks – and counting growth bands. The age of shortfin mako, and therefore important parameters, such as age at sexual maturity and longevity, were severely underestimated until 2006 (e.g. claims of sexual maturity at 4–6 years, claims of longevity as low as 11 years), because of a poorly supported belief that shortfin mako sharks deposited two growth bands per year in their vertebrae. This belief was overturned by a landmark study which proved that shortfin mako sharks only deposit one band in their vertebrae per year, as well as providing validated ages for numerous specimens.[29] Natanson et al. (2006) aged 258 shortfin mako specimens and recorded:
Similar, validated age findings were made (median age at maturity in males 7–9 years, median age at maturity in females 19–21 years, longevity estimates 29 years and 28 years respectively) in New Zealand waters.[30]
Due to this error, fishery management models and ecological risk assessment models in use around the world were underestimating both the longevity and the age at sexual maturity in shortfin mako sharks, particularly in females, by two-thirds or more (i.e. 6 years versus 18+ years), and some of these inaccurate models remain in use.[citation needed]
Of all studied sharks, the shortfin mako has one of the largestbrain-to-body ratios.[31] This large brain size prompted New Zealand Sealife Australia and New Zealand senior curator Craig Thorburn of Auckland, New Zealand, and film-maker Mike Bhana to investigate the intelligence of the shortfin mako. From tests involving shape differentiation to electroreception tests and individual recognition, Isuru Somawardana and his team of shark experts discovered shortfin mako are fast-learning sharks, able to determine whether or not the researchers were threatening. The sharks involved in the study (while never the same individuals) after initial caution showed unique and novel behaviors, such as refusing to roll back their eyes during feeding and allowing themselves to be briefly restrained and touched while being offered bait. Shortfin mako also do not rely on electroreception when hunting, unlike thegreat white shark, based on tests involving wired fiberglass fish designed to emit weak electrical signals resembling real fish of similar size. Instead, they rely on smell, hearing, and most prominently, vision. The results of this research were featured on a documentary presented byShark Week in 1999 calledMako: Swift, Smart & Deadly.[32]
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Mako fishing is a prominent activity around the world. As one of the fastest species in the ocean, they offer acrobatic flips, fast runs, and strong fights, which all greatly entertains anglers. Traditionally, the sharks are hooked through the use ofchum and baitcasters; however,fly fishing for them has become more popular, particularly inSan Diego,California, where one of the three known worldwide mako rookeries is located. A cottage industry of fishing in thisrookery has emerged, specifically catch-and-release, with charter operations out ofMission Bay.[33] For many years, many commercial boats hunted them for restaurant catch, but through the efforts of many local fishing companies and national organizations (such as Orvis), this has been curbed.[34]
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Of all recorded attempts to keeppelagic shark species incaptivity, the shortfin mako shark has fared the poorest, even more so than theblue shark and thegreat white shark. AtSeaWorld San Diego, a 90 cm (3.0 ft) shortfin mako shark ability test failed in the early 1970s.[35] In the summer of 1978, two mako sharks caught off the coast of San Diego failed to evade the wall and both died within three days.[35] The current record is held by a specimen kept at theNew Jersey Aquarium for only five days in 2001. Like past attempts at keepingIsurus in captivity, the animal appeared strong on arrival, but had trouble negotiating the walls of the aquarium, refused to feed, quickly weakened, and died.[36]
ISAF statistics records 10 shortfinattacks on humans between 1980 and 2024, three of which were fatal, along with 20 boat attacks.[37] Many attacks involving shortfin mako sharks are considered to have been provoked due to harassment or the shark being caught on a fishing line.[38] Divers who have encountered shortfin mako note, prior to an attack, they swim in a figure-eight pattern and approach with mouths open.[38] The most recent attack occurred on March 30, 2024 inCabo San Lucas not ending in a fatality. The shark attacked a group of snorkelers and one man in particular had to wrestle with the shark before it was able to harm anyone else.[citation needed]
The shortfin mako is currently classified asEndangered by theIUCN, having been uplisted fromVulnerable in 2019 andNear-Threatened in 2007.[39][1] The species is included on Appendix II ofCITES which regulates international trade.[2] The species is being targeted by both sport and commercial fisheries, and there is a substantial proportion ofbycatch in driftnet fisheries for other species.[1] In June 2018, the New ZealandDepartment of Conservation classified the shortfin mako shark as "Not Threatened" with the qualifier "Uncertain whether Secure Overseas" under theNew Zealand Threat Classification System.[40] In 2019, the shortfin mako was reclassified by the IUCN from being listed as "Vulnerable" to "Endangered" after a review of 58 elasmobranch species.[41]
