today’s shark is the shortfin mako shark!!! i’ve honestly been waiting all week for this shark, it’s that awesome. something about the makos totally endears them to me, they’re a stout, powerful fish. they are incredibly fast fish, with some recorded bursts of speed of up to 74 mph. incredible for a 1000 lb. fish! they also are capable of leaping high into the air out of the water. unfortunately all this speed and power makes them a favorable game shark for sport fishing and thus they are highly sought-after for pure sport.
known as isurus oxyrinchus, vital stats are:
- it’s latin name means “sharp nose”
- makos can grow anywhere from 6-9 ft. long
- makos are mackerel sharks that are incredibly fast swimmers and can also leap out of the water.
- makos eat schooling fish, including tuna, herring, mackerel, swordfish, and porpoise. They are opportunistic feeders, eating just about anything.
- the name “mako” comes from the m?ori language, meaning either the mako shark or a shark tooth.
- mako pups are cannabalistic in the womb.
- mako sharks do not survive in captivity, the longest one lasted was mere days before it died.
honorary mention for saturday: the whale shark
