Shortfin mako shark
Shortfin mako shark | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Chondrichthyes |
Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
Subdivision: | Selachimorpha |
Order: | Lamniformes |
Family: | Lamnidae |
Genus: | Isurus |
Species: | I. oxyrinchus
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Binomial name | |
Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810
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Distribution of Isurus oxyrinchus | |
Synonyms | |
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The shortfin mako shark (
Etymology
"Mako" comes from the
Description
The shortfin mako shark is a fairly large species of shark. Growth rates appear to be somewhat accelerated in comparison to other species in the
The shortfin mako shark is cylindrical in shape, with a vertically elongated tail. This species exhibits countershading, with brilliant metallic blue coloration dorsally and white ventrally. The line of demarcation between blue and white on the body is distinct. The underside of the snout and the area around the mouth are white. Larger specimens tend to possess darker coloration that extends onto parts of the body that would be white in smaller individuals. The juvenile mako differs in that it has a clear blackish stain on the tip of the snout. The longfin mako shark very much resembles the shortfin mako shark, but has larger pectoral fins, dark rather than pale coloration around the mouth and larger eyes. The presence of only one lateral keel on the tail and the lack of lateral cusps on the teeth distinguish the mako from the closely related porbeagle sharks of the genus Lamna.[citation needed]
Ecology
Range and habitat
The shortfin mako inhabits offshore
It is a
In the western
Shortfin mako sharks travel long distances to seek prey or mates. In December 1998, a female tagged off California was captured in the central Pacific by a Japanese research vessel, meaning this fish traveled over 2,776 km (1,725 mi). Another specimen swam 2,128 km (1,322 mi) in 37 days, averaging 58 km (36 mi) a day.[21]
Feeding
The shortfin mako shark feeds mainly upon
Shortfin mako sharks consume 3% of their weight each day and take about 1.5–2.0 days to digest an average-sized meal. By comparison, the
Shortfin mako sharks over 3 m (9.8 ft) have interior teeth considerably wider and flatter than smaller mako, which enables them to prey effectively upon dolphins, swordfish, and other sharks.[21] An amateur videotape, taken in Pacific waters, shows a moribund pantropical spotted dolphin whose tail was almost completely severed being circled by a shortfin mako. Mako also tend to scavenge long-lined and netted fish.[23]
The bite of a shortfin mako shark is exceptionally strong; the current record for the strongest bite measured for any shark belongs to a shortfin mako that was recorded at Mayor Island in New Zealand in 2020. The shark had been coaxed into biting a custom-made "bite meter" as part of an experiment to measure mako bite force. The strongest bite recorded during the experiment was roughly 3,000 lbs. of force, or roughly 13,000 newtons.[24]
Its endothermic constitution partly accounts for its relatively great speed.[25]
Like other lamnid sharks, the shortfin mako shark has a heat-exchange circulatory system that allows the shark to be 4–5.5 °C (7–10 °F) warmer than the surrounding water. This system enables them to maintain a stable, very high level of activity,[26] giving it an advantage over its cold-blooded prey.[27]
Behavior
The shortfin mako is a fast species that can leap into the air when hooked, making it a highly sought-after game fish worldwide. Some cases of shortfin mako jumping into a boat after having been hooked have been reported.[28]
Reproduction
The shortfin mako shark is a yolk-sac ovoviviparous shark giving birth to live young. Developing embryos feed on unfertilized eggs (oophagy) within the uterus during the 15- to 18-month gestation period. They do not engage in sibling cannibalism unlike the sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus). The four to 18 surviving young are born live in the late winter and early spring at a length of about 70 cm (28 in). Females may rest for 18 months after birth before mating again. Shortfin mako sharks bear young on average every three years.[29] A common mating strategy of shortfin mako sharks has been documented as using multiple paternity as a mating strategy, known as polyandry. Polyandry is where the females mate with more than one male. This strategy is used to have a single brood sired by multiple males (multiple paternity) and is a common strategy in diverse taxa, including invertebrates and vertebrates.[30]
Lifespan
Shortfin mako sharks, as with most other sharks, are aged by sectioning vertebrae – one of the few bony structures in sharks – and counting growth bands. The age of shortfin mako, and therefore important parameters, such as age at sexual maturity and longevity, were severely underestimated until 2006 (e.g. claims of sexual maturity at 4–6 years, claims of longevity as low as 11 years), because of a poorly supported belief that shortfin mako sharks deposited two growth bands per year in their vertebrae. This belief was overturned by a landmark study which proved that shortfin mako sharks only deposit one band in their vertebrae per year, as well as providing validated ages for numerous specimens.[31] Natanson et al. (2006) aged 258 shortfin mako specimens and recorded:
- Maximum age of 29 years in males (260 cm or 8.5 ft fork length (FL))
- Maximum age of 32 years in females (335 cm or 10.99 ft FL)
- 50% sexual maturity at 8 years in males (185 cm or 6.07 ft FL)
- 50% sexual maturity at 18 years in females (275 cm or 9.02 ft FL)
Similar, validated age findings were made (median age at maturity in males 7–9 years, median age at maturity in females 19–21 years, longevity estimates 29 years and 28 years respectively) in New Zealand waters.[32]
Due to this error, fishery management models and ecological risk assessment models in use around the world were underestimating both the longevity and the age at sexual maturity in shortfin mako sharks, particularly in females, by two-thirds or more (i.e. 6 years versus 18+ years), and some of these inaccurate models remain in use.
Intelligence
Of all studied sharks, the shortfin mako has one of the largest
Relationship with humans
Fishing for sport
Mako fishing is a prominent activity around the world. As one of the fastest species in the ocean, they offer acrobatic flips, fast runs, and strong fights, which all greatly entertains anglers. Traditionally, the sharks are hooked through the use of chum and baitcasters; however, fly fishing for them has become more popular, particularly in San Diego, California, where one of the three known worldwide mako rookeries is located. A cottage industry of fishing in this rookery has emerged, specifically catch-and-release, with charter operations out of Mission Bay.[34] For many years, many commercial boats hunted them for restaurant catch, but through the efforts of many local fishing companies and national organizations (such as Orvis), this has been curbed.[35]
Captivity
Of all recorded attempts to keep
Attacks on humans
ISAF statistics records 10 shortfin attacks on humans between 1980 and 2024, three of which were fatal, along with 20 boat attacks.[38] Many attacks involving shortfin mako sharks are considered to have been provoked due to harassment or the shark being caught on a fishing line.[39] Divers who have encountered shortfin mako note, prior to an attack, they swim in a figure-eight pattern and approach with mouths open.[39] The most recent attack occurred on March 30, 2024 in Cabo San Lucas not ending in a fatality. The shark attacked a group of snorkelers and one man in particular had to wrestle with the shark before it was able to harm anyone else.
Conservation
The shortfin mako is currently classified as
See also
References
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ www.dynamo6.com. "mako - Te Aka Māori Dictionary". mako - Te Aka Māori Dictionary. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Isurus oxyrinchus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 23 January 2006.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2006). "Isurus oxyrinchus" in FishBase. May 2006 version.
- ^ "Maori language – a glossary of useful words from the language of the Maori New Zealand". Retrieved 2006-08-11.
- ^ a b H. W. Williams (1971). Dictionary of the Maori Language (7th ed.).
- ^ Oxford: The Dictionary of New Zealand English: New Zealand words and their origins. 1997.
- ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Retrieved 2008-03-08.
- ^ Richard Taylor (1848). A leaf from the natural history of New Zealand. xiii.
- ^ a b FLMNH Ichthyology Department: Shortfin Mako. Flmnh.ufl.edu. Retrieved on 2012-08-22.
- ^ "1,323-pound shark caught off coast of Huntington Beach". KABC TV. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
- ^ Kabasakal, H. and De Maddalena, A. (2011) A huge shortfin mako shark Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 (Chondrichthyes: Lamnidae) from the waters of Marmaris, Turkey Archived 2014-01-04 at the Wayback Machine. Annales, Series Historia Naturalis, 21 (1): 21–24
- ^ Kabasakal, Hakan (January 2011). "A Huge Shortfin Mako Isurus oxyrinchus rafinesque, 1810 (Chondrichthyes: Lamnidae) From the Waters of Marmaris, Turkey" (PDF). Annales: 21–24 – via research gate.
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- ^ OCLC 38468784. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ a b "The Shark Gallery – Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus)". The Shark Trust. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ^ "Shortfin Mako sharks(Isurus oxyrinchus)". Shark Foundation / Hai-Stiftung. 29 August 2005. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ^ Campana, Steven; Warren Joyce; Zoey Zahorodny (2 October 2008). "Shortfin Mako". The Canadian Shark Research Laboratory. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
- Wikidata Q114871191.
- ^ a b R. Aidan Martin (2003). "Open Ocean: the Blue DesertShortfin Mako". ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
- doi:10.1139/f82-058. Archived from the originalon 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ Fergusson, Ian. "Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus)". Archived from the original on 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
- ^ "Most powerful shark bite ever recorded measured by scientists". Newsweek. 14 August 2020.
- ^ Passarelli, Nancy; Craig Knickle; Kristy DiVittorio. "SHORTFIN MAKO". Florida Museum of Natural History. Archived from the original on 2016-01-27. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- ^ McGrouther, M (May 2007). "Shortfin Mako". Australian Museum. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
- ^ "Shortfin Mako Shark". 2008 Discovery Communications, LLC. October 30, 2007. Archived from the original on September 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ "Monstrous mako shark hops on boat, gets itself stuck, dramatic video shows". Fox News. 2017-07-28. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-643-09457-4.
- ^ Nasby-Lucas, N., Dewar, H., Sosa-Nishizaki, O., Wilson, C., Hyde, J. R., Vetter, R. D., Wraith, J., Block, B. A., Kinney, M. J., Sippel, T., Holts, D. B., & Kohin, S. (2019). Movements of electronically tagged shortfin mako sharks (Isurus Oxyrinchus) in the eastern North Pacific Ocean. Animal Biotelemetry, 7(1).
- S2CID 24839752. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2010-05-27.
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- ^ "Mako – Swift, Smart & Deadly".
- ^ "San Diego Shark Fishing Charter TheFlyStop.com". Archived from the original on 2014-12-23.
- ^ "San Diego Offshore | California Fly Fishing Reports & Conditions".
- ^ a b "Shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) in Captivity". January 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Elasmobranch Research around Monterey Bay
- ^ ISAF Statistics on Attacking Species of Shark. Flmnh.ufl.edu (2012-01-30). Retrieved on 2012-08-22.
- ^ a b "Shortfin Mako Sharks". MarineBio Conservation Society. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ "More oceanic sharks added to the IUCN Red List". IUCN.org. IUCN. 2007-02-21.
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- ^ "Ocean for Sharks". Archived from the original on 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2019-03-23.