Undoubtedly, the shortfin mako sharks are among the most fascinating and attractive sharks in existence. One of the prominent attributes the sharks are well known for being their unique physical appearances. The shortfin mako sharks are distinguished from their counterparts due to their prominent coloration. They have colors ranging from deep purples to bright indigo blues on the dorsal sides and their ventral sides are generally white. They have silver color along their sides. From their name, the sharks have extremely short fins. The shortfin mako sharks are relatively large sharks that can grow on average to a length of 13 feet.
The shortfin mako sharks are considered as apex predators, thus they do not have known predators within their ecosystem with the exception of humans. Another prominent feature of the shortfin mako sharks is that they are regarded as the fastest sharks in the ocean, no wonder they are nicknamed the “cheetahs of the ocean”. They are known to swim at a constant speed of 21.75 mph and can cover a distance of 1,299 miles within a month. Besides their amazing speed, they are equally known to be exceptional leapers and divers. With the exception of cold waters, the shortfin mako sharks have wide distribution across the world.
The shortfin mako shark is both a commercial and recreational fish to man as its meat is high in quality and is prized as one of the greatest game fishes in the world. Furthermore, the world’s affinity for shark fin soup and the flesh of the shortfin mako shark has resulted in a decline in their population.
The life expectancy of the shortfin mako shark is between 28 and 35 years.
Taxonomy
The shortfin mako sharks belong to the order Lamnifomes and family Lamnidae. This shows they belong to the family of mackerel sharks.
Morphology
The shortfin mako sharks are distinctly characterized by long and slender teeth with smooth-edged cusps. The teeth are so sharp and long that they are visible when the sharks’ mouths are closed. The shortfin mako sharks have a sleek spindle shaped body with a long conical snout. The pectoral fins of the sharks are short, while the caudal fins are crescent in shape. Its second dorsal fin is considerably smaller compared to the first. These sharks have marked countershading, that is, the dorsal side is metallic indigo blue, while the ventral side is white.
Adaptation
With the aid of its long, slender and extremely sharp teeth, the shortfin Mako shark is able to feed on many species of animals. Also, the marked countershading appearance of the shark is very good for camouflage that enable the shark to be difficult to detect by the preys. The most obvious advantage of the shortfin mako shark that enhance its survival in water is the speed and agility of the shark, which enables it outrun any prey during hunting in the ocean. Furthermore, being a warm blooded mammal, the shortfin mako sharks have a specialized blood vessel structure known as countercurrent exchanger, which allows them to keep their body temperature higher than the surrounding water. This provides them significant advantage during hunting in cold water by enabling them to move faster and intelligently.
Feeding
The shortfin Mako shark has varied diets, which include bony fishes such as mackerels, tunas, bonitos and swordfish. The shark is also known to feed upon other sharks such as blue sharks, dolphins and porpoises, and sea turtles.
Habitat
The shortfin mako shark resides in the offshore waters of tropical and temperate region. They are a pelagic species that are found from the surface up to a depth of 1600 feet below the water surface. It is rare to find the shortfin mako shark in water below 16oC. They are usually found in waters whose temperature range between 17 and 22oC.
Reproduction
The shortfin mako sharks mate through internal fertilization and give birth to young ones. However, despite giving birth to live young ones, the mother shortfin mako shark is not connected to its young ones through the placenta, rather during gestation the young ones are provided with unfertilized by their mother for nourishment. These shark species generally undergo sexual dimorphism with the female growing larger than the males. Female shortfin Makos typically attains maturity when they grow up to the length of not less than 9 feet. The gestation period of these sharks is longer than in humans between 15 and 18 months. The pups of these shark species likewise engage in cannibalism within the uterus of their mother known as ovophagy. It is more common for a mother to deliver litters less than 8 to 10 pups. It is widely assumed that mother mako shark has 18 month period of rest after giving birth.
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Photos
References
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2019). Shortfin mako shark. Isurus oxyrinchus. Retrieved from http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/profiles-profils/shortfinmako-requintaupebleu-atl-eng.html
MARINEBIO (2019). Shortfin Mako Sharks, Isurus oxyrinchus. Retrieved from http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=36
OCEANAProtecting the world’s oceans (2019). SHARKS RAYS. Shortfin Mako Shark. Isurus oxyrinchus. Retrieved from https://oceana.org/marine-life/sharks-rays/shortfin-mako-shark
Rennie, D (2018, April 26). Why Mako Shark Should Scare You As Much As Great Whites. Retrieved from https://allthatsinteresting.com/mako-shark
Rogers, M (2019). The Mako Shark. SHARKsider. Retrieved from https://www.sharksider.com/mako-shark/
