This is a fairly large shark, part of the herring family. Otherwise, it is called bonito, black-winged, mackerel, as well as a gray-blue shark. In Latin - Isurus oxyrinchus. Scientists believe that she is a descendant of the ancient species Isurus hastilus, whose representatives reached six meters in length and weighed about three tons. This species of sharks existed in the Cretaceous at the same time as plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs.
Mako is considered dangerous for humans, as it is one of the most aggressive species of sharks. She does not miss almost any prey and attacks, even when full. Mako shark jaws are a deadly weapon, while the fish itself develops tremendous speed, therefore it is considered one of the most dangerous marine predators.
Description
There are two species of mako shark - Short-fin and Long-fin. Both of them are equally dangerous to humans. The fish are almost identical, differing only in the size of the fins. Mako shark sometimes reaches four meters in length and weighs up to 400-500 kilograms. Females are larger than males, the largest specimen was caught by French fishermen in 1973. He weighed about a ton and reached a length of four and a half meters. The exact life expectancy is unknown, scientists suggest that it reaches 15-25 years.
The body of the shark has a cylindrical shape. The belly is white, on top of the skin is dark blue. The older the Mako shark, the darker the color. The muzzle is pointed, slightly extended forward. Its lower part is also white. Young individuals can be distinguished by a pronounced black spot at the end of the muzzle, which disappears with age. Mako has big eyes. The dorsal fin is large in front and small in back. The pectoral fins are medium in size, and the caudal fin resembles a crescent in its shape. The teeth are curved back and very sharp. This jaw structure helps tenaciously hold prey.
Mako breeding
Shark refers to live-bearing species of fish. Puberty in females begins when their body grows to 2.7 m, in males this is 1.9 m. Pregnancy lasts 15 months, embryos in the uterus feed on unfertilized eggs. Up to 18 fry are born, which reach a length of about 70 cm. Cubs after birth exist independently. The interval between mating is 1.5-2 years.
Habitat
Shark lives in the waters of tropical and temperate seas. The main areas of its distribution:
- Indo-Pacific;
- Pacific (northeast);
- atlantic.
The distribution area is vast: the southern border is near New Zealand and Argentina, the northern - in the region of Nova Scotia. Mako is rarely found in waters with temperatures below 16 degrees, and you can only see it in places where its favorite food, swordfish, lives. This shark swims to a depth of 150 m and tries to stay closer to the surface.
Mako shark maximum attack speed
The torpedo-shaped body shape contributes to the swiftness of this fish. The speed of the Mako shark when attacking prey reaches 60 km / h. The fish is able to bounce above the surface of the water up to six meters in height. These qualities are proved by the fact that one of the most dangerous predators in the deep sea is the mako shark. She develops her speed thanks to her body shape and good circulatory system. Unlike other sharks, mako muscles are penetrated by a large number of capillaries and are constantly heated by blood circulation. Therefore, they can quickly shrink and contribute to a set of high speed.
This feature of the shark quickly depletes its energy reserves, so the fish is very voracious and constantly needs high-calorie food. Mako is interested in everything that he sees in his path, whether it be a living organism or an inanimate object. In 90% of cases out of 100, she tries to taste everything she sees. However, this applies more to fish than to humans.
Assault on man
The mako shark itself is considered potentially dangerous. In most cases, this fish does not perceive humans as food, but there are exceptions. An attack by a mako shark on a person sometimes happens. But most often the person is to blame for this. Over the past few decades, 42 attacks have been officially recorded; eight of them have been fatal. In most cases, the shark attacked the fishermen who tried to catch it. Sometimes she attacked boats. The latter situation is also to blame for the people who caught fish in front of the shark’s nose, thus provoking it to attack.
Nutrition and behavior
Mako eats mainly large fish: mackerel, tuna, etc. Its favorite food is swordfish, which can reach three meters in length and weigh up to 600 kilograms. That is, their dimensions are almost identical. Swordfish confronts the shark, but almost never wins, since mako is very energetic and strong.
The predator prefers to attack from below and bites prey in the area of the caudal fin. It is in this place that the end of the spine and the main joints are located. Thus, the Mako shark, a photo of which can be seen in this article, paralyzes its victim and makes it helpless. About 70% of the predator’s food is tuna, but she does not disdain dolphins and her other cousins, which are smaller in size. A curious fact: tuna is capable of speeds up to 70 km / h, but the shark catches up with it due to its lightning fast start. The Mako accelerates to 60 km / h in just 2 seconds.
Enemies and friends
This predator has few friends. You can mark the fish-cleaners, stuck and pilots. The first ones help all predators get rid of various parasites that attach to the fins and feed on skin secretions. As for the enemies, the mako practically does not have them. The shark tries to avoid only its larger counterparts and schooling fish. For example, if a dolphin in itself can become its prey, then their flock is able to drive a predator away from its habitat.
