One class of sharks that have long been considered sport fishing animals is the mako sharkIt has an aggressive appearance and its behavior is worse than it seems. It almost seems like mako shark hunters are doing us a favor, but it's quite the opposite. This shark has earned a reputation for being very aggressive and because it has dangerous facets, it has become one of the fastest fish in the ocean.
This article He's going to talk about the mako shark and all its characteristics.
Key features
It is a fish that belongs to the family lamnidae and it is a species of lamniform elasmobrachian. It is also known by another name, which is shortfin shark, shortfin mako shark o toothyIn the ocean, it is considered one of the species more dangerous and combative of sharks. Unlike other sharks that first scare you and then attack you, these go straight for the food.
It is an animal with a gigantic size. They are totally huge, reaching almost 4 meters in length and weighing up to 750 kilosIf you face an individual of this size in their territory, you can be sure you're finished. They have a muscular build. extremely solid and strong. Although there are exceptional records with very high figures, in general terms adults tend to be below these maximums, with great variability according to sex and region.
Your body is fusiform and hydrodynamicwith a conical and pointed snout. The mouth is generally large but narrow and adopts a U shape marked by a diastema (separation) between the hemimandibles. It has round eyes, black or jet blue in color, and five gill slits. very big that facilitate an abundant intake of water for breathing.
As for its fins, it has the first dorsal of medium size, with a slightly rounded tip, originating just behind the scapular bones. It also has another second dorsal fin and one tiny anal finwhich face each other. The caudal fin is large, with broad lobes and in half Moonwith the upper lobe only slightly larger than the lower. The caudal peduncle is depressed and widened by side fins very long, which help to channel the flow of water and reduce turbulence.
The dermal denticles, which cover its skin, act as a microscopic armor that friction decreases with the water. This microstructure partly explains its speed and silent swimming. The coloration is very dark blue on the back and upper sides, and white on the bellyIn young people, a darker or more marked area can sometimes be seen at the end of the snout.
Description of the mako shark
It has some truly powerful jaws large and powerfulIt uses them to tear apart its prey and defend itself. Its teeth, with a wide base and sharp cusp, have edges smooth (without serrations) and a slight outward curvature; in adults, the cusp may appear wider. The third upper tooth is usually smaller and inclined, followed by a noticeable gap. Many of his teeth grow without any apparent order and in large numbers, with some remaining visible even with their mouths closed, which increases their intimidating appearance.
The flexible cusp shape, along with the ability to project the teeth outwards, allows you to anchor and tear Highly mobile catches. The edges of the lips are smooth and slippery, improving the hydrodynamics of the entire mouth during lunges.
Its eyes are round and range in color from black to jet blue. Documentaries and studies have shown that when they surface and the eye is exposed, a [unclear phrase - possibly "a dark, opaque, or inflammatory process"] appears. protective membrane similar to an eyelid to protect the pupil. This mechanism is in addition to other sensory and neurological adaptations that characterize the Lamnidae group.
As for the color of the mako shark, it doesn't vary much between varieties or between males and females. very dark blues across the entire back and upper part from the middle of the body, except for the whiter bellyThis dorsal-ventral contrast helps it camouflage itself: seen from above it blends in with the darkness of the ocean, and from below with the brightness of the surface.
Food and habitat
Mako sharks feed primarily on small and medium-sized preyDespite what one might think, they frequently feed on sardines, mackerel, herring, horse mackerel, bonito and little tunnyand complement with squid. Although it can attack and emerge victorious against other dangerous and larger specimensWith that size of prey, it's more than capable. This is how, on occasion, it takes on larger prey such as turtles, dolphins, porpoises, and even other sharks. All of this depends on local availability and its energy requirements. Remains of marine mammals have been documented in the stomach contents of large specimens; however, the bony fish They remain the basis of their diet.
Even with all that we've mentioned about its fairly varied diet, we must say that the mako shark's favorite food is the swordfishIn fact, it is one of its main natural predators, capable of capturing it thanks to its great speed and surprise attacks from below or at angles that make it difficult for the prey fish to escape.
In hunting habits, the mako combines smell, hearing, and above all, sight to locate schools of fish and individual prey. It usually charges with intense accelerations, and can tear off fins or section flanks to incapacitate large fish, and adapts its diet according to the region and season. Various studies estimate that it can consume around 3% of your daily body weightHowever, this value fluctuates depending on size, temperature, and recent energy expenditure.
Regarding its habitat and distribution, it can be found in ecosystems near the oceans. Atlantic, Indian and Pacificand in some parts of Mediterranean Sea and Red SeaThese animals avoid cold water and prefer warmer temperatures. temperate to warmabove certain thresholds. This is thanks to the quantity and flow of migratory fish Therefore, this shark changes location according to the seasons. Furthermore, depending on feeding conditions, they may also migrate to other areas with more food or more stable temperatures.
Although he is famous for showing his fin at the surface, the truth is that he prefers to swim in ocean waters and depths of tens to several hundred metersIt can be found from the surface to mid-levels of the water column, with frequent records between the epipelagic and upper mesopelagic zones.
Speed, senses and behavior
The mako is famous for its maximum speed, with estimates placing it around 70 km/h in short chases. The secret lies in its morphology: fusiform body, caudal keels that channel the water, caudal fin in half Moon It transmits power and exceptional muscle mass. Furthermore, like other lamniids, it maintains a stable body temperature. slightly higher than that of water (regional endothermy) thanks to a countercurrent blood flow system in the red muscle. This physiological advantage allows for faster digestion, greater muscle performance, and quick reactions.
This combination of strength and speed This even allows them to jump out of the water. In situations involving hook and line fishing during sport fishing, they have been observed jumps of several meters of height, which makes the mako especially combative and feared in these battles.
Of all the sharks studied, the shortfin mako stands out for a brain-body relationship relatively large and because of its fast learningThis helps it assess risks and change strategy in the presence of human stimuli. When hunting, it doesn't rely as much on electroreception as other species, and relies primarily on its sense of smell. smell, its hearing and, most notably, its Zóbel's visionHowever, it possesses the Lorenzini ampoules, sensors capable of detecting weak electric fields that also help to orient themselves and locate prey.
Regarding its ecological position, despite its voraciousness and danger, the mako is not always the absolute apex predator: orcas They can hunt it. However, it tends to overlap less with the great white shark due to differences in habitat and thermopreference. Its habits are generally lonersIt does not exhibit parental care and shows intense interactions with prey and, occasionally, with boats, especially in the context of sport fishing.
Distribution and migrations
The shortfin mako shark is a species pelagic oceanic widely distributed in waters tropical and temperate of all the oceans. It may occasionally approach coastal areas with narrow shelves, but its typical environment is the open seaAt a spatial level, it carries out large-scale displacements within each hemisphere, with movements associated with the availability of migratory prey already corridors of warm currents. Evidence suggests that their migrations usually remain in the hemisphere where they reside, without regular trans-equatorial crossings.
Their daily and seasonal routes cover hundreds to thousands of kilometers, with high cruising speeds and Vertical excursions looking for banks de pecesHabitat selection combines the temperature, productivity local and the current structure that concentrate dams, such as fronts and edges of ocean gyres.
Reproduction of the mako shark
The reproduction pattern of this type of shark is ovoviviparous. Once the female completes her gestation period, she is able to give birth to between 4 and 8 offspring.Larger litters have been recorded in exceptional cases. The mako's gestation period is prolonged and the offspring are born well-developed, which increases their chances of survival.
When the hatchlings give their first wingbeats They are only 70 cm or 85 cm longThe largest hatchlings can reach 2 meters in length. Female hatchlings are usually larger than males. They tend to remain in their mother's womb after hatching.
There is a curious phenomenon that pervades the reproduction of these sharks, and it is... oophagiaThe phenomenon is that, while these young are still developing as embryos, they are capable of devouring each other. They do this so that only the strongest and healthiest survive. In addition to oophagy, other behaviors have been described. embryophagy In some cases, more developed embryos consume less advanced ones. This phenomenon reduces the number of fetuses, but increase the size of those that reach completion.
You could say it's a kind of natural selection where offspring with a higher probability of success are chosen so they don't "steal" nutrients from the mother by having to feed more offspring at once. sexual maturity It shows a clear dimorphism: males reach it with sizes around 1,9 2-mwhile females mature later and at larger sizes, around 2,6 2,8-mDuring courtship, males may exhibit more energetic behaviors, and in females, these are frequently observed. scars in the belly, gills, and pectoral fins derived from these interactions.
Conservation and threats
The shortfin mako shark is listed in categories of threat in international assessments due to its population decline in various regions. The main pressures come from the commercial fishing pelagic (longline, driftnets and gillnets) and of the deportive fishingwhere its fighting spirit makes it a coveted target. Some of the captures are incidents (bycatch) in fisheries targeting high-value species such as tuna or swordfish.
Although many sport catches are released, it has been estimated that post-release mortality not negligible. In coastal environments with gillnets and trammel nets, the incidental mortality The risk can be high, even when there are attempts to return the species. The species is listed in the Appendix II of CITESThis entails controls on its international trade with traceability and sustainability requirements. Furthermore, it is a party to international agreements on migratory species that seek to coordinate management measures between countries.
The most effective efforts involve catch limits based on scientific evaluations, increased number of observers on board to quantify bycatch, improvements in hooks and techniques to reduce interactions, and measures of safe release that increase survival rates. Education for the fisheries sector and national compliance with international commitments are essential to stabilize and recover fish stocks.
It's worth mentioning that in past decades, the Adriatic Sea was one of the areas with the highest concentration of mako sharks. However, there is currently no consistent record of resident populations there, which underscores the need for sustained monitoring and adaptive policies by ocean basin.
Combining slow-growth biologyModerate spawning rates and high fishing demand require prudence in its exploitation. The role of the mako as large pelagic predator helps regulate populations de peces Fast-moving fish like swordfish and tuna, so their conservation also means maintaining trophic balances essentials in the open sea.
The mako shark is an extraordinarily fast and adaptable ocean predator, with a streamlined morphology, keen senses, and high-performance physiology. Its versatile diet, long-range migrations, and ovoviviparous reproduction with oophagy make it a fascinating and keystone species in the pelagic ecosystem. Its future depends on effective fisheries managementinternational cooperation and responsible practices that allow us to continue admiring this athlete of the ocean.
