Shortfin mako shark

SHORTFIN MAKO

Isurus oxyrinchus

SIZE

To about 13 ft (4 m).

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Snout conical, pointed

Caudal fin lunate with single keel on caudal peduncle

Color deep blue above; light metallic blue sides; snow-white below, including underside of snout and area around mouth

Teeth long, bladelike, smooth-edged, protruding from mouth

DISTRIBUTION

Newfoundland, Canada, to Brazil, including Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Common in U.S. Northeast.

HABITAT

Offshore from surface to at least 500 ft (152 m); generally in waters >61°F (16°C).

SIMILAR SPECIES

Porbeagle has secondary keels on caudal fin, teeth with lateral cusplets; prefers colder water. Longfin mako has larger eyes, longer pectoral fins, dusky or blue-black underside of snout and area around mouth. Blue shark lacks lunate caudal fin, caudal keels, sharply pointed snout. White shark has triangular teeth with serrated edges, blunter snout.

MORE INFORMATION

Shortfin mako length-weight relationship

Transporting a large shortfin mako

Shortfin mako (top) and porbeagle (bottom) comparison

Juvenile shortfin mako sharks

Canadian Shark Research Laboratory