This is a fairly large shark, part of the Herring family. Otherwise, it is called bonito, black-nosed, mackerel, and also gray-blue shark. In Latin - Isurus oxyrinchus. Scientists believe that it is a descendant of the ancient species Isurus hastilus, whose representatives reached six meters in length and weighed about three tons. This species of shark existed in the Cretaceous at the same time as plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs.
Mako is considered dangerous to humans, as it is one of the most aggressive species of sharks. She does not miss almost any prey and attacks, even when she is full. Mako shark jaws are a deadly weapon, but the fish itself develops tremendous speed, therefore it is considered one of the most dangerous marine predators.
Description
There are two types of mako shark - short-finned and long-finned. Both 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 weighsup to 400-500 kilograms. Females are larger than males, the largest specimen was caught by French fishermen in 1973. It 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.
Shark body has a cylindrical shape. The belly is white, the skin is dark blue above. The older the mako shark, the darker its color. The muzzle is pointed, slightly extended forward. The underside is also white. Juveniles can be distinguished by a pronounced black spot at the end of the snout, which disappears with age. Mako's eyes are big. The dorsal fin is large in front and small in the 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 structure of the jaws helps to tenaciously hold the prey.
Mako breeding
Shark is a viviparous fish species. Puberty in females begins when their body grows to 2.7 m, in males this figure is 1.9 m. Pregnancy lasts 15 months, the embryos in the uterus feed on unfertilized eggs. Up to 18 fry are born, which reach a length of about 70 cm. After birth, the cubs 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 extensive: the southern border is located near New Zealand and Argentina, the northern border is in the Nova Scotia region. The Mako is rarely seen in waters below 16 degrees and can only be seen in places where its favorite food, the swordfish, lives. This shark swims at a depth of up to 150 m and tries to stay closer to the surface.
Mako shark maximum attack speed
Torpedo-shaped body contributes to the speed of this fish. The speed of the mako shark when attacking prey reaches 60 km / h. The fish is able to jump above the surface of the water up to six meters in height. These qualities prove the fact that one of the most dangerous predators in the depths of the sea is the mako shark. She develops her speed due to the shape of the body and a good circulatory system. Unlike other sharks, mako muscles are permeated with a large number of capillaries and are constantly heated by blood circulation. Therefore, they can contract quickly and contribute to high speed gains.
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. 90% of the time out of 100 she tries to taste everything she sees. However, this applies more to fish than to humans.
Assault on a person
The mako shark itself is considered potentially dangerous. ATIn most cases, this fish does not perceive a person as food, but there are exceptions. Mako shark attacks on humans sometimes happen. But more often than not, the person is to blame. 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. In the latter situation, the people themselves are also to blame, who fished in front of the shark's nose, thus provoking it to attack.
Nutrition and behavior
Mako feeds mainly on large fish: mackerel, tuna, etc. Her favorite food is swordfish, which can reach three meters in length and weigh up to 600 kilograms. That is, their dimensions are almost identical. The swordfish fights the shark, but almost never wins, as the mako is very energetic and strong.
The predator prefers to attack from below and bites the 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, whose photo can be seen in this article, paralyzes its prey and makes it helpless. About 70% of the predator's food is tuna, but she does not disdain dolphins and her other brethren, which are smaller in size. An interesting fact: the tuna is able to reach speeds of up to 70 km / h, but the shark catches up with it due to its lightning start. Mako accelerates to 60 km/h in just 2 seconds.
Enemies and friends
This one has friendsfew predators. You can mark cleaner fish, stuck and pilots. The former 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 the dolphin itself can become its prey, then their flock is able to drive the predator away from their habitats.
Fishing
There is no intentional capture of this fish, sometimes it itself gets caught in the net, chasing prey. However, delicious mako meat can be noted. This shark, like all types of herring, is suitable for food. But some internal organs and fins are of particular value. The liver of this predator is a delicacy.
Although mako is not a commercial fish, it is of interest to the so-called "hunters-athletes". The predator fights for her life to the last, which brings a lot of emotions to people trying to catch her. This "sport" is deadly.
A mako shark has been reported to come very close to a beach and was shot with a harpoon gun. The fish immediately freed itself from the arrow and rushed to the attack. She jumped out onto the sand and tried to grab the man who had shot at her. He was lucky that everything worked out.
The most terrible tragedy in which the mako shark participated, the photo of which can be seen in this article, occurred off the Australian coast in the middle of the XXcentury. Four fishermen were fishing peacefully from a large boat. Suddenly they were attacked by a flock of mako. People tried to swim to the shore, but one predator rammed the side of the boat through and through and the fishermen ended up in the water. Only one was able to safely get to land, the rest were torn apart and eaten by bloodthirsty mako.
There was a lot of controversy about this, and many versions were expressed to explain the behavior of sharks. Most were inclined to believe that people still provoked the attack themselves, because they caught fish in front of the noses of feeding predators, which caused their irritation and aggression.
