What do the short fin mako eat?

Answer 1

The Short-finned Mako Shark (Mako Shark on the rest of the page) have the latin name Isurus Oxyrinchus, lives in in warm and temperate waters between 50 degrees north and 50 degrees south. Mako Sharks can also be found near Australia and New Zealand. Mako Sharks live out in the open ocean in deep waters down to 500 meters of depth, though Mako Sharks can often be seen in the surface hunting prey. Mako Sharks are seldom caught on deeper waters than 200 meters.

Answer 2

The shortfin mako feeds mainly upon bony fishes including mackerels, tunas, bonitos, and swordfish (Along with swordfish's look alike and also speedy sailfish, which also uses a long, sharp bill), but may also eat other sharks, porpoises, sea turtles, and herons. In Ganzirri and Isola Lipari, Sicily, shortfin makos have been found with amputated swordfish bills impaled into their head and gills, suggesting makos are making the swordfish a major food source during late spring, early summer---corresponding to the swordfish's spawning cycle. This shark like others has a natural predatorial instinct to attack prey while they are most vulnerable.[11] Analysis of the stomach contents of 399 male and female mako sharks ranging from 67 to 328cm are presented. The results from this study suggest makos from Cape Hatteras to the Grand Banks prefer bluefish to any other food source. Bluefish constituted 77.5% of the diet by volume. The average capacity of the stomach is 10% of eh body weight. Shortfin makos consume 4.3 to 14.5% of the available bluefish between Cape Hatteras and Georges Bank. [12] Closely related to the White Shark, the shortfin mako's anterior teeth have been found to widen and flatten considerably in sharks over 10 feet (3 meters) in length. The way these teeth are shaped enables large shortfins to prey effectively upon dolphins and other sharks as well as swordfish. .[13] In recent years it has been suggested that adult makos infrequently attack free-swimming dolphins. This hypothesis appeared validated when an amateur video, taken in Pacific waters, emerged showing a moribund spotted dolphin, whose tail was almost completely severed, just after a shark attack. The video shows a very large shorfin mako circling the dieing dolphin. Makos also have the tendency to scavenge on long lined and netted fish. [14]