Short-finned Mako
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Shortfin Mako ( Isurus oxyrinchus ) |
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| Isurus oxyrinchus | ||||||||||||
| Rafinesque , 1810 |
The short-finned Mako ( Isurus oxyrinchus ), generally also called Mako shark , is a species of the herring or mackerel sharks (Lamnidae) and thus the sharks (Selachii).
features
Short-finned Makos are metallic in color. The back is bluish-gray, while the belly and the undersides of the snout and mouth are colored white. They can be up to 4 meters long and weigh 500 kg. The pectoral fins are small, the body very narrow and the muzzle pointed, giving them a very hydrodynamic shape.
Way of life
Short-finned Makos live in coastal waters at depths of up to 150 meters. They reach speeds of almost 80 km / h and are among the fastest species of fish. They are one of the few shark species that can also jump, reaching heights of over 6 m.
Reproduction
Short-finned makos are born alive and without a yolk sac placenta . A female shark gives birth to up to 16 young fish per litter. At that point they are about 70 cm long and grow very quickly. With a length of approx. 195 cm, the males become sexually mature, while females can only mate with approx. 280 cm.
Food and hunting
They eat swordfish , tuna , mackerel and even other sharks like gray and hammerhead sharks . Very large short-finned macos have wider and triangular teeth that make it easier for them to saw up their prey. The short-finned Mako is also on the market in Germany as a food fish under the name “Makrelenhai” .
Mako sharks are not at the top of the food chain in some areas of the world . Examples of predators for adult specimens are: killer whales , sperm whales , but also larger predatory sharks such as the white shark or the saltwater crocodile .
distribution
The distribution area extends over the subtropical and warm waters of all oceans.
- In the western Atlantic , their habitat extends from the Gulf of Maine to southern Brazil , including the entire Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean .
- In the eastern Atlantic they inhabit the coastal areas from Norway , the British Isles down to South Africa .
Furthermore, they live in
- Mediterranean as well as throughout the area of the
- Indian Ocean , including the Red Sea.
- In the Western Pacific , they inhabit the coasts of Indonesia , Korea , Japan , Australia , Tasmania , New Zealand and New Caledonia as well as in the
- Eastern Pacific the Southern Aleutian Islands down to Chile .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ulli Weissbach: More like family ties than killer whales? ( Memento from December 19, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (broadcast W wie Wissen of ARD from August 5, 2007)
- ↑ Ingrid N. Visser, D. Fertl, J. Berghan and R. van Meurs: Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on a shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), in New Zealand waters. Aquatic Mammals, 26, pp. 229-231, 2000
Web links
- Shortfin Mako on Fishbase.org (in English )
- Information on the short-fin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) from www.hai.ch (in German )
- Very nice description (in English )
- Sharkproject: Project dedicated to the fight for more knowledge about sharks and thus more understanding for the protection of animals
- Isurus oxyrinchus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Stevens, 2000. Retrieved on 6 May, 2006.