Longfin mako shark

Longfin mako shark
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Lamniformes
Family: Lamnidae
Genus: Isurus
Species:
I. paucus
Binomial name
Isurus paucus
Range of the longfin mako shark
Synonyms

Isurus alatus Garrick, 1967 Lamiostoma belyaevi Glückman, 1964 Isurus oxyrinchus (non Rafinesque, 1810) misapplied

The longfin mako shark (Isurus paucus) is a species of mackerel shark in the family Lamnidae, with a probable worldwide distribution in temperate and tropical waters. An uncommon species, it is typically lumped together under the name "mako" with its better-known relative, the shortfin mako shark (I. oxyrinchus). The longfin mako is a pelagic species found in moderately deep water, having been reported to a depth of 220 m (720 ft). Growing to a maximum length of 4.3 m (14 ft), the slimmer build and long, broad pectoral fins of this shark suggest that it is a slower and less active swimmer than the shortfin mako.

Longfin mako sharks are predators that feed on small schooling bony fishes and cephalopods. Whether this shark is capable of elevating its body temperature above that of the surrounding water like the other members of its family is uncertain, though it possesses the requisite physiological adaptations. Reproduction in this species is aplacental viviparous, meaning the embryos hatch from eggs inside the uterus. In the later stages of development, the unborn young are fed nonviable eggs by the mother (oophagy). The litter size is typically two, but may be as many as eight. The longfin mako is of limited commercial value, as its meat and fins are of lower quality than those of other pelagic sharks; however, it is caught unintentionally in low numbers across its range. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed this species as endangered due to its rarity, low reproductive rate, and continuing bycatch mortality. In 2019, alongside the shortfin mako, the IUCN listed the longfin mako as "Endangered".[3][4][5]

  1. ^ Rigby, C.L.; Barreto, R.; Carlson, J.; Fernando, D.; Fordham, S.; Francis, M.P.; Jabado, R.W.; Liu, K.M.; Marshall, A.; Pacoureau, N.; Romanov, E.; Sherley, R.B.; Winker, H. (2019). "Isurus paucus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T60225A3095898. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T60225A3095898.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ "World's fastest shark endangered, 17 other species almost extinct, conservationists say". Fox News. 22 March 2019. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  4. ^ "The IUCN Announced Conservation Status Update on 58 Elasmobranch Species, Including the Shortfin Mako – Ocean for Sharks". Archived from the original on 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  5. ^ "Press". Archived from the original on 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2019-03-27.