Mako sharks have a gestation period of 15-18 months in the mother uterus.

After that, some of them are born with a length of about 2.1 feet (70 cm.)
They can grow up to 9 to 12 feet.

Links to other pages in this site

How High Can A Shark Jump Out Of The Water?
Why Is Mako Shark Endangered?
How Are Whale Sharks Endangered?
Why Are People Afraid Of Sharks?

Mako sharks have an endangered status because of the same reasons other shark species have it, excessive human fishing, and hunting, either directly or bycatch.

In particular, Mako sharks are victims of an infamous practice called shark finning which consists of cutting off their fins while sharks are still alive and return them this way to the ocean being victims of predators or a slow death.

Links to other pages in this site

What Do Sharks Eat?
Why Do Sharks Drown When Pulled Backwards?
How Big Is The Biggest Recorded Whale Shark?
How Do Sharks Find Their Food?
How Does Global Warming Affect Sharks?

The shortfin mako shark also is known as the blue pointer and bonito shark. It is a fast speed-swimming shark that has been called “the peregrine falcon of the sharks” in allusion to the fastest bird in the world. It is considered an animal dangerous to humans because of the speed which can attack and its ability to jump into the fishing boats.

It belongs to the order Lamniformes, the Lamnidae family, and the genus Isurus.

DESCRIPTION

The body of the mako shark is cylindrical, fusiform and hydrodynamic. There is sexual dimorphism since the female is visibly larger than the male. An adult can measure between 3.2 and 3.8 meters in length and weigh between 60 and 135 kilograms although females can reach 150 kilos.

The body of the mako shark is cylindrical, fusiform and hydrodynamic.

It has a powerful caudal fin semicircular with a highly developed lower lobe. It has two dorsal fins but the second one is much smaller than the first one, as well as two pectoral fins shorter than the length of the head. Its gill slits are long and have small black eyes; Young individuals have the tip of the snout black. Its teeth are large and very sharp, and they stand out when the shark closes the mouth.

Its body has a gray or metallic blue color on the dorsal area and a lighter color in the belly area.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT

This shark inhabits all the temperate waters of the world, with larger concentrations in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans and in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. In the Pacific, it is mainly located along the American coasts and from the Territory of Primorye in Russia to New Zealand and Australia. In the Indo-Pacific, it dwells from East Africa to Hawaii and in the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Maine to Argentina and Brazil and from Norway to South Africa.

It is a pelagic species that occasionally approaches the coasts. Its natural habitat corresponds to tropical and temperate waters, epipelagic and coastal areas with depths up to 150 meters.

FEEDING

It is an efficient predator and therefore, a carnivorous animal that feeds on several species of fish, but certainly the favorite food of the populations who live in the Atlantic is the bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) that represents almost 92 percent of its total diet. Other common foods are cephalopods like octopus and squids, bony fish (mackerel, tuna, swordfish, etc.), dolphins, turtles, seabirds and small sharks. Every day, it consumes 3 percent of its weight and needs 1.5 to 2 days to digest its food.

When hunting, the mako shark stays under the prey after identifying it. Before the victim detects it observing its movements, the shark swims vertically toward the prey, immobilizes it by biting its caudal peduncle and begins tearing pieces of flesh.

BEHAVIOR

The mako is the fastest shark on Earth. It reaches up to 32 kilometers per hour with gusts of 72 km/h and is capable of traveling up to 55 kilometers in a single day. Therefore it shows signs of being a migratory species. This fish can also jump, as it has been seen doing it out of the water reaching up to 9 meters height.

Mako sharks are solitary individuals but may be grouped according to sex. It does not represent a grave danger to humans since it lives far from the coast.

Are solitary individuals but may be grouped according to sex.

REPRODUCTIVE HABITS

The female reaches sexual maturity when it equals a length of 3 meters, while the male can mate when it gets a length of 2 meters. It is a polygamous and polyandrous species that commonly form groups differentiated by sex, that is, males and females unusually get together if they do not have the objective to mate, which happens between late summer and early fall.

Many bodies of adult females exhibit scars on their bellies, flanks, and pectoral fins, indicating that perhaps the male is aggressive during mating. Either way, the male internally fertilizes the female, and the offspring develop inside the body of the mother (ovoviviparity). The gestation period lasts between 15 and 18 months, after which the female gives birth to a litter of 4 to 25 live offspring. The female waits about 18 months to get pregnant again, so it reproduces every 2 or 3 years.

THREATS AND CONSERVATION

The mako shark is an important species for commercial fishing. In addition to its flesh, fins, oil, liver, and cartilage, its jaws and teeth are decorative objects and even trophies. And like other species of sharks, it is a victim of bycatch.

The species is considered “Vulnerable” in the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. As a consequence, some organizations have taken action on the matter in an attempt to protect and guarantee the survival of this shark species. For example, the United Nations Fish Stock Agreement (UNFSA), demands countries to create conservation strategies and follow the International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Protection of sharks, recommending a continuous assessment of the status of the shark populations, which also includes the mako shark.

Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3683885.stm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortfin_mako_shark

https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/discover/species-profiles/isurus-oxyrinchus

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39341/0

http://www.arkive.org/shortfin-mako/isurus-oxyrinchus/

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Isurus_oxyrinchus/

BioExpedition Publishing © 2017.

There are many species of sharks found in the oceans around the world.

Some of them are very big while others are quite small. Some of them are to be feared while others mind their own business and they are very calm. You may be surprised to learn some of the largest species of sharks in the ocean are the nicest ones to encounter.

This information will help you identify some of the common species of sharks.

There are 440 different species of sharks in the world today classified into eight different orders described below with some examples of known sharks species for each group.

Some of the most popular species of sharks are:

Characteristics of some Types of Sharks

Angel Sharks

One of the most unusual types of sharks our there are know as angel sharks. Many people mistake them for some other types of sea creature. It isn’t uncommon for them to be thought of as large stingrays. But the simplest way to tell them apart is by looking at the location of the fins. On the angel shark, they won’t be on the head.

Leopard shark

This type of shark isn’t a meat eater. Instead it focuses on what it can find along the bottom of the ocean. Clams and mollusks often are a big part of their overall diet.

The coloring of angel sharks allow them to blend in well with the bottom of the ocean though so they often go undetected.

Hammerhead Sharks

Another unique type of shark is the Hammerhead Shark. It has a long head that looks like they ends of a hammer on both sides of it.

Many people are afraid of it due to the way that it looks. Yet it is very unlikely that they will attack a person. Nine hammerhead species are generally recognized but only three types can be dangerous to humans.

Hammerhead Sharks have a very developed sense of smell though and they will go on the hunt for prey in the ocean very aggressively. Read the complete Fact Sheet about the Hammerhead Shark…

Reef Sharks

Reef sharks seem to be able to adapt to life just about anywhere including captivity. They are loners and very seldom interact with other sharks unless it is time for breeding.

Reef Sharks can grow up to six feet long and they have very distinct features. They are gray in color on the top. Underneath they are all white or they have streaks of white. The tips of their fins are black.

Blue Sharks

All sharks swim very fast, but the blue shark is one of the fastest species.

Blue Sharks often look hungry due to the thin body they have. However, they are slender by nature and it has nothing to do with the amount of food they eat. Due to the roundness of most other types of sharks though they do seem quite on the thin side. They aren’t picky at all about what they will eat though so they never go hungry.

The blue shark is considered to be one of the most dangerous sharks in the waters. It has been known to attack people, which makes it one of species of shark that people most fear.

Blue sharks can grow up to 12 feet long so this is no small shark to be trying to get away from. Due to the speed and the strength of it very few of its prey have a chance of survival. Read the Blue Shark Fact Sheet

Great White Shark

Probably the best known species of shark is the great white. This is believed to be the most dangerous type of shark in the world. People have been able to see them as they are among the rare species that do raise their heads out of the water.

Great white sharks can grow up to 16 feet and weight around 1,500-2,400 pounds. Some have been known to weigh around 4,000 pounds but that isn’t the norm.

More people have been attacked by great white sharks than any other shark species. Locations where they are living have been identified and people are encouraged to stay away from them. Even so, swimmers, surfers, and divers have had numerous encounters with them. Read the Great White Shark Fact Sheet.

Grouping Sharks

While all sharks have similarities including they way their bodies are formed they also have many differences. Now that you are aware of some of the different types of sharks out there you can look into those that capture your attention in more detail. Sharks are very interesting and you will find there is an abundance of information out there to explore.

Physical Characteristics of Each Group