Rafinesque, 1810; and / Isurus paucus
Guitart Manday, 1965; LAMNIDAE FAMILY; also
called shortfin mako shark, longfin mako
shark, blue pointer, short nosed mackerel
shark, bonito shark
Found worldwide in tropical and warm
temperate seas, these solitary, pelagic,
fast swimming species rarely come in close
to shore. The shortfin mako, Isurus
oxyrinchus, is most often encountered by
anglers as it is more likely to move in
shore on occasion. The longfin mako, Isurus
paucus, is a widely distributed off shore
species considered rare in the Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico, except along the coast of
Cuba. It is taken almost exclusively on
longlines.
Makos have a streamlined, well proportioned
body and a conical pointed snout. The
longfin mako has a blunter snout and a
larger eye than the shortfin and much longer
pectoral fins. There is a large, prominent,
flattened keel on either side of the caudal
peduncle. It can be easily distinguished
from all other sharks by its teeth, which
are like curved daggers with no cusps at the
base or serrations along the razor shark
edges. The front surface is flat and the
teeth are curved inward. The back of the
shortfin mako is a brilliant blue gray or
cobalt blue and the sides are light blue,
changing to snowy white on the belly
including the lower jaw. The longfin mako is
also blue above with light blue sides, and
is white below except for the jaw. In life
the mako's colors are the most strikingly
beautiful of all the mackerel sharks. After
death the colors fade to grayish brown.
The mako is a known enemy of the broadbill
swordfish. In one case a 730 lb (331 kg)
mako was found to have swallowed a 120 lb
(54 kg) swordfish whole. It has been
implicated in attacks on humans and is the
undisputed leader in attacks on boats. A
hooked mako will unleash all its fury,
reportedly leaping as high as 30 ft (10 m)
out of the water. It may roll, shake, dive,
and charge the boat. It has also been known
to bite the boat and occasionally to leap
into it, causing severe injuries to the
angler and wreaking havoc in the cockpit.
Fishing methods include trolling with whole
tuna, mullet, squid, mackerel, or lures and
also, chumming or live bait fishing with
similar baits. Many are hooked incidentally
while trolling for marlins. The flesh is
excellent and said to be similar to
swordfish.
The mackerel sharks (mako, white and
porbeagle) are all ovoviviparous, the eggs
hatch inside the mother and the young are
born alive.
