Isurus oxyrinchus
Threatened
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fishes)
Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)
Lamnidae (Mackerel Sharks)
Isurus
Isurus oxyrinchus (Shortfin Mako)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
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Characters
Relatively slender and fusiform, with a long, slender, conical snout and a lunate caudal fin. Mouth is strongly arched. Teeth are large, narrow, not greatly compressed, and lack serrations and secondary cusps. Anterior teeth in both jaws are recurved lingually. Upper and lower jaws have from 24 to 26 tooth rows. Pectoral fin is narrow based, narrow tipped to acutely pointed, and shorter than head length. First dorsal fin is large and originates over or posterior to free tip of pectoral fin. Second dorsal fin is minute and originates slightly anterior to origin of anal fin. Secondary keel is lacking on caudal fin base.
Dark metallic blue dorsally and white ventrally.
Distribution
Gulf of Maine to Argentina, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Habitat Associations
Tropical to temperate seas from the surface to 152 m
Biology
Elasmobranch and bony fishes, squids, salps, sea turtles, and porpoises
Maximum known size is 394 cm TL. Males reach 284 cm TL.
Litters range from 8 to 10 young. Males mature at 195 cm TL, females mature at 280 cm TL, and young are 60 to 67 cm TL at birth.
Oceanic, but sometimes found close inshore (Ref. 6871, 11230, 58302). Usually in surface waters (Ref. 30573), down to about 150 m (Ref. 26938, 11230). Coastal, epipelagic at 1->500 m (Ref. 58302). Isotope analysis has shown that shortfin mako is the highest level fish predator in oceanic waters off eastern Australia (Ref. 86961). Adults feed on bony fishes, other sharks (Ref. 5578), cephalopods; larger individuals may feed on larger prey such as billfish and small cetaceans (Ref. 6871, 58048). Ovoviviparous, embryos feeding on yolk sac and other ova produced by the mother (Ref. 43278, 50449). With 4-16 young of about 60-70 cm long (Ref. 35388, 26346). Gestation period lasts 15-18 months, spawning cycle is every 3 years. Some authors (Refs. 1661, 28081, 31395) have erroneously assumed that two age rings are deposited per year by this species, thus underestimating longevity, age at maturity, and resilience . These data have been removed and replaced by recent, verified estimates (Refs. 86586, 86587, 86588). Tagging in New Zealand indicates seasonal migrations (Ref. 26346). The presence of genetic differentiation in mitochondrial DNA across global populations (Ref. 36416) suggests dispersal may be male-biased, and that females may have natal site-fidelity. Shortfin mako has been shown to have a marked sexually segregated population structure (Ref. 86954). Shortfin mako is probably the fastest of all sharks and can leap out of the water when hooked (Ref. 6871). Potentially dangerous and responsible for unprovoked attacks on swimmers and boats (Ref. 13574). Utilized fresh, dried or salted, smoked and frozen; eaten broiled and baked (Ref. 9988). Valued for its fine quality meat as well as its fins and skin (Ref. 247). Oil is extracted for vitamins and fins for shark-fin soup (Ref. 13574). Jaws and teeth are also sold as ornaments and trophies (Ref. 9988). by Kabasakal & de Maddalena, 2011 reported a historical record of a larger specimen, caught in the Mediterranean Sea off Turkey, about 585 cm (TL estimated from photographs) (Ref. 106604). Maximum depth from Ref. 125614.
IUCN Red List Status: Endangered (EN), assessed 2018-11-05. Resilience: Low (rm=0.051; tm=8-20; tmax=32; Fec=4).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described.
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish.
References
Bigelow and Schroeder 1948a
Hoese and Moore 1977
Applegate et al. 1979
Castro 1983
Pratt and Casey 1983
Compagno 1984
Quero 1984b
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Compagno, L.J.V. (1984) FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 1 - Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/1):1-249. Rome, FAO.
Stillwell, C.E. and N.E. Kohler (1982) Food, feeding habits, and estimates of daily ration of the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) in the Northwest Atlantic. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 39(3):407-414.
Compagno, L.J.V., D.A. Ebert and M.J. Smale (1989) Guide to the sharks and rays of southern Africa. New Holland (Publ.) Ltd., London. 158 p.
Bass, A.J. (1986) Lamnidae. p. 98-100. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Gilmore, R.G. (1993) Reproductive biology of lamnoid sharks. Environ. Biol. Fishes 38(1-3):95-114.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
Bowman, R.E., C.E. Stillwell, W.L. Michaels and M.D. Grosslein (2000) Food of northwest Atlantic fishes and two common species of squid. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE 155, 138 p.
Weigmann, S. (2016) Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeographical diversity. J. Fish Biol. 88(1):1-201. DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12874
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