Sharks
Shortfin Mako Shark
Isurus oxyrinchus
SaltwaterLamnidaeEndangered
About
The Shortfin Mako is a large, streamlined shark known for its speed and agility. It possesses a conical snout, long gill slits, and distinctive, blade-like teeth. They are highly active predators, often leaping out of the water when pursuing prey.
- Average size
- Up to 13 feet (4 meters) in length, weighing up to 1,200 pounds (545 kg)
- Colors
- Metallic blue-gray dorsally, white ventrally. Juveniles may have a darker spot near the snout.
- Diet
- Primarily feeds on bony fishes (tuna, mackerel, swordfish), other sharks, squid, and marine mammals.
- Region
- Found in all temperate and tropical oceans worldwide, including the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. In US waters, they are found along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.