Marine Life

Shortfin mako

Woshimas miyaru

Isurus oxyrinchus

Isurus oxyrinchus is an extremely fast and powerful shark, as evidenced by its noticeably broad caudal peduncle. It is potentially dangerous and very similar in appearance to the longfin mako (I. paucus Guitar Manday, 1966), which has a blunter snout and pectoral fins longer than the head. This species has not yet been recorded in Maldivian waters.

Details

§ 01

size: Common to 2 m max. 4 m
color: Dark blue-grey above, white below.
order: Lamniformes
family: Lamnidae
image url: https://assets.explore.mv/fishes/isurus-oxyrinchus.png
habitat and biology: This species is found both in the ocean and along the coast, typically in surface waters up to a depth of 152 meters. It feeds on schooling fish, using its slender and pointed teeth. It has also been known to attack sharks and billfishes. It is ovoviviparous, meaning it does not have a yolk-sac placenta, and the number of pups per litter ranges from 2 to 16.
distinctive characters: The body is moderately slender with a conical, pointed snout, a lunate caudal fin, an extremely broad and well-developed caudal peduncle, and pectoral fins that are distinctly shorter than the head.