Shortfin Mako Sharks
Shortfin mako sharks, also known as blue pointer or bonito sharks, are a species of large mackerel sharks. These endangered sharks range throughout tropical and temperate seas. Learn more about this fast-swimming animal.
(updated July 19, 2022)
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Photo By: Ryan Cake
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Shortfin Mako Sharks
Shortfin mako sharks cruise at speeds of 22 miles per hour when hunting, but can achieve bursts of 60 miles per hour.
Shortfin Mako Sharks
There are two types of mako sharks, one is is the shortfin mako shark – Isurus oxyrinchus – and the other is the longfin mako shark – Isurus paucus. The shortfin mako shark is the fastest shark around.
Shortfin Mako Sharks
Similar to the great white sharks, mako sharks are partially warm blooded which enables them to hunt in cooler water temperatures.
Shortfin Mako Sharks
The shortfin mako shark is hunted for sport due to its size and speed, sadly they face the possibility of extinction since they are hunted for their meat which some consider tastier than other sharks.
Shortfin Mako Sharks
Some mako sharks hunt for swordfish, but they also go after squid, tuna, and bill fish.
Shortfin Mako Sharks
Mako sharks are speedy and tenacious and can leap up to 20 feet out of the water.
Shortfin Mako Sharks
Ernest Hemingway wrote about Mako Sharks in the novel that won him a Pulitzer Prize, ‘The Old Man and The Sea.’
The shortfin mako shark is also known as the blue pointer or bonito shark.
Shortfin Mako Shark
Shortfin mako sharks mate via internal fertilization and give live birth to a small number of shark pups
Shortfin Mako Shark
Shortfin Mako Shark or the Isurus oxyrinchus, are highly migratory and can travel across entire oceans.