AY Honors/Species Account/Isurus oxyrinchus
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| Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 |
The Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), commonly called Mako Shark, is a large shark of the Lamnidae family with a full-grown size of 2.75–3.75m (9-12 feet). It usually weighs around 250–700kg (575–1600 pounds) and has a bluish top and a white underside. Although the sexes grow at about the same rate, females are thought to have a longer life span. Females grow larger and weigh more than the males. Makos are renowned for their speed and their ability to leap out of the water. The sharks have an average speed of 22 miles per hour, with a burst speed of up to 60 miles per hour.
While the name 'Mako' comes from the Maori, this high leaping, boat attacking fish is sought as game worldwide. Some of the largest makos in the world can be found in New England waters. There are two species of mako. The other mako species, the longfin, Isurus paucus, is found farther offshore in the Gulf Stream. Makos were popularized in the movie Deep Blue Sea.
The name was also applied to a 1961 Chevrolet Corvette show car, the "Mako Shark" corvette, whose detailing was partly inspired by the look of that very fast fish.
The Mako Shark is a yolk-sac oviviparous shark, meaning it gives birth to live young who feed of a sac full of yolk in the womb. The gestation period for a Mako Shark is 15-18 months. Mako embryo in the female's body literally consume each other to get nutrients. This is called intrauterine cannibalism.
External Links
"Lamniformes." Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia E-Book. (requires license to view)
