AY Honors/Species Account/Isurus oxyrinchus

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The Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus "sharp nose"), commonly just called Mako Shark despite not being the only species of mako, is a large shark of the Lamnidae family.

Anatomy

With a full-grown size of 9-13 feet (2.75–4 m). It has been reported to weigh up to 1750 pounds (800 kg) and has a bluish top and a white underside. Although the sexes grow at about the same rate, females are thought to have a longer life span. Females grow larger and weigh more than the males. Shortfin Makos are renowned for their speed and their ability to leap out of the water.

Naming

The name 'Mako' comes from the Maori "Blue Lightning" in reflection of its colour and speed.

Distribution

The shortfin mako is found in temperate and tropical seas all around the world.

Behavior

The sharks speed has been recorded at over 22 miles (35 kilometers) per hour, with perhaps a burst speed of up to 60 miles (100 kilometers) per hour. Makos can jump up to 20 feet in the air.

This high leaping, boat attacking fish is sought as game worldwide. Some of the largest makos in the world can be found in New England waters. The closely related Longfin Mako Shark, Isurus paucus, is found in the Gulf Stream or warmer offshore waters. Shortfin Makos were popularized in the movie Deep Blue Sea.

Reproduction

The Shortfin Mako Shark is a yolk-sac ovoviviparous shark, meaning it gives birth to live young who feed off of a sac full of yolk in the womb. The gestation period for a Mako Shark is 15-18 months. Mako embryo in the female's body literally consume each other to get nutrients. This is called intrauterine cannibalism.