Читать книгу Killers in the Water - The New Super Sharks Terrorising The World's Oceans - Sue Blackhall - Страница 8

The Mako is one of the fastest sharks in the ocean, reaching speeds of up to 96.6kph (60mph), and can leap as high as 6m (20ft). It is famous for its amazing displays of power and strength when chasing prey. The Mako doesn’t eat large animals or humans but it doesn’t like humans in its environment, viewing them as a threat.

Description: There are two kinds of Mako; the more common Short Fin, and the Long Fin. The Short Fin is a sleek, spindle-shaped shark with a long conical shout. It has short pectoral fins and a crescent-shaped tail fin. There is marked countershading on this shark; its dorsal fin a metallic indigo blue, the underbelly white. There is a distinct keel on the caudal (tail) base. Its second dorsal fin is much smaller than the first. The long fin is slimmer and has broader, straight pectoral fins and a moderately long, conical and pointed snout; the pectoral fin is as long as its head (and sometimes longer). Its eyes are large and it has a parabolic shape. Colouring is dark blue or grey-black, with a white belly and dark jaw.

Short Fin: Has slender and slightly curved teeth with no lateral cusps, which are visible even when the mouth is closed. Long Fin: Large and blade-shaped, with no lateral cusps or serrations. The lower anterior teeth protrude from the jaws and are in line with the shark’s lateral teeth. Size: Can grow to a maximum of 4m (13ft). Diet: Large fish, including tuna, bluefish and swordfish, but smaller species too, such as mackerel, herring, cod, Australian salmon and sea bass. May also feast on other sharks, porpoises and turtles. Habitat: Tropical and temperate offshore waters, preferring to dwell as deep as 150m (492ft). Short Fin: Found in the Western Atlantic, from Argentina and the Gulf of Mexico to off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, and Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean, the Indo-West Pacific, Central Pacific and Eastern Pacific. Rarely seen where the water temperature is less than 16°C (60.8°F). Long Fin: Sighted in the Western and Eastern Atlantic, Western Indian Ocean, Western Pacific, Central Pacific and Eastern Pacific, with reported, unconfirmed sightings in the Mediterranean.