Shortfin Mako
Isurus oxyrinchus
The fastest shark in the sea and the only one that reliably jumps — three metres clear of the water is routine. Endangered globally; retention is now banned in the North Atlantic.
Also known as: Mako · Blue pointer
World record
Luke Sweeney · Chatham, Massachusetts, USA · 2001
Overview
- Scientific name
- Isurus oxyrinchus
- Family
- Lamnidae
- Max length
- 14' 7"
- Typical length
- 9' 10"
- Max weight
- 1,322 lb
- Depth range
- 0–750 m
- Conservation status
- Endangered
- Difficulty
- Expert
- Fight
- Table quality
How to catch it
Drifting a chum slick with mackerel baits. Release every fish: North Atlantic stocks are under a retention prohibition.
How big does it get?
What turns up on an ordinary day, and what a very good one looks like. Almost nobody catches a maximum-size fish — this is the honest spread.
1.8 m angler
Character
What this fish is actually like to catch.
Where it lives
Its band in the water column, against the ocean's real depth zones.
When to fish for it
Relative catch activity through the year, northern hemisphere.
Distribution
Trophy Score of all :n logged catches of this species. A score means nothing until you can see the population behind it.
Top catches on FishRankings
The heaviest of this species recorded by our community.
Nobody has logged one yet. Claim the top spot.
Log a catch4 Related species
| Species | Species | Worth | Max length | World record | Depth zone | Fight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great White Shark Carcharodon carcharias | 315 | 20' 0" | 2,664 lb | Sunlit zone Saltwater | Vulnerable | |
| Porbeagle Lamna nasus | 276 | 11' 12" | 507 lb | Sunlit zone Saltwater | Vulnerable | |
| Tiger Shark Galeocerdo cuvier | 309 | 24' 3" | 1,785 lb | Sunlit zone Saltwater | Near threatened | |
| Black Marlin Istiompax indica | 300 | 15' 3" | 1,560 lb | Sunlit zone Saltwater | Data deficient |
"Worth" is what a catch of that species is worth before any of your own skill counts — higher means harder to find and harder to beat.