The Shortfin Mako

The Shortfin Mako belongs to the Lamnidae family. The average adult height is about 200-215 cm for men and 275-290 cm for women. The maximum size of a shortfin mako is about 400 cm in total length. The birth size is 60-70 cm in total length. The Shortfin Mako are estimated to live about 29 to 32 years. It is thought to breed in late summer or early fall. It is caught in summer.
The Shortfin Mako body is conical-cylindrical and clearly hydrodynamic. The muzzle is pointed with large black eyes. The caudal keel is prominent and the caudal fin is lunar. The tail has a high height/width ratio (height/length ratio), which produces maximum thrust with minimal drag and provides almost all the propulsion of the shark. The mouth is clearly U-shaped. The color is a deep metallic blue on the back and ventrally white. The transition line between blue and white on the body is distinct. The area around the mouth and the underside of the snout are white. This last point is important because it differentiates shortfin from longfin mako, which has a dark pigmented region around the mouth. Color is related to body size. Larger specimens are darker and dark pigmentation often extends to generally white parts of the body in smaller specimens. The juvenile mako has a distinct black spot on the tip of the snout.