How to Identify Shortfin Mako Shark

To identify Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), look at these key features.

Physical Characteristics

Body shape

torpedo

Coloration

Dorsally iridescent metallic blue to dark blue, fading to white ventrally. The demarcation between the blue and white is sharp and distinct.

Scale type

placoid

Mouth position

terminal

Distinctive features

Long, conical snout, Large, black eyes, Prominent, dagger-like teeth, visible even when the mouth is closed, Large pectoral fins, shorter than the head length, Small second dorsal and anal fins, Lunate (crescent-shaped) caudal fin with a single keel on the caudal peduncle, Endothermic (warm-bodied), allowing for higher metabolic rates and sustained speed

Dorsal fin

First dorsal fin is large and triangular, originating behind the pectoral fin axil. Second dorsal fin is very small, positioned just anterior to the anal fin.

Tail fin

Lunate (crescent-shaped) and powerful, with the upper and lower lobes nearly equal in size, indicative of a fast-swimming pelagic species.

Pectoral fin

Long and narrow, but notably shorter than the head length (a key distinguishing feature from the Longfin Mako).

Distinctive fins

Possesses a single, prominent lateral keel on each side of the caudal peduncle.

Identification Tips

1. 1

   Snout

   Long and pointed, conical.

2. 2

   Teeth

   Prominent, slender, smooth-edged, and recurved, often visible even when the mouth is closed.

3. 3

   Pectoral Fins

   Relatively short, typically shorter than the length of the head (measured from the tip of the snout to the fifth gill slit). This is a crucial feature to distinguish it from the Longfin Mako.

4. 4

   Coloration

   Distinctive metallic blue-grey dorsal surface sharply demarcated from the white ventral surface.

5. 5

   Caudal Keel

   A single, prominent lateral keel on the caudal peduncle.

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