Asian Diver – March 2018

REPRODUCTION

Shortfin makos are yolk sac,

ovoviviparous sharks that give birth

to live young. Litter sizes range from

between 4–25 pups that each measure

around 70 centimetres at birth. The

gestation period is 15–18 months and

reproduction occurs every three years.

Sexual maturity is attained at 7–9 years

for males, and 19–21 years for females,

and this combination of low fecundity and

late sexual maturity means the species is

especially vulnerable to the pressures

of overfishing

MAKO SHARK

WARM BLOODED

Makos and some other sharks such as the great white have

the ability to internally regulate certain parts of their body

at temperatures up to 10 degrees warmer than that of the

surrounding water, a process known as endothermy. This

enables the shark to successfully pursue fast and agile prey,

digest food quickly for energy, and inhabit a wider range of

environments with varying temperatures

SPEED

The fastest of all sharks, and capable of attaining speeds

of up to 32 kilometres per hour, the mako holds the speed

record for long distance travel, with one species recorded

travelling 2130 kilometres in just 37 days – an average distance of

58 kilometres per day! It is also capable of leaping high out of the

water when attacking prey or when trying to escape the hooks of

sport fishermen

PREDATORS
Although larger sharks may target
juvenile makos, adults generally
have little to fear, and are most
likely to fall prey to longline fishing
vessels or sports fishermen

DERMAL DENTICLES

Another attribute that contributes to the

speed and swimming efficiency of the

mako shark is its hydrodynamic skin,

which comprises hundreds of

tooth-like scales called dermal

denticles. These “teeth” are incredibly

effective at reducing drag, and swimsuit

manufacturers have tried to reproduce

the same result

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Chondrichthyes

Subclass : Elasmobranchii

Superorder : Selachimorpha

Order : Lamniformes

Family : Lamnidae

Genus : Isurus

Species : I. oxyrinchus

Maximum Size

Average size

Maximum Weight

4.45 metres

2.7 metres

505.8 kilograms

Newborn pups measure around

70

centimetres

CONSERVATION STATUS

Extinct Vulnerable Threatened

EXEWCRENVUNTLC

Dermal Denticles

32 kilometres

per hour

Heat-ExchangingRetia Nodified Temperature Loggers

White Muscle

Thermocouple

Red Muscle

Thermocouple

Thermocouples andThermistors Thermocouple Wires

Red Muscle

2

Stomach

1

White Muscle

Stomach

WM

RM