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Fast, powerful and ferocious, the mako shark is one of the deadliest predators in the sea. This shark can outrace any other shark and can usually overtake even the speediest prey. Always on the move, the mako stays alert and ready to strike. Dozens of wickedly sharp teeth do the rest.

Tried Braces? The mako shark's teeth are long and sharp, and easily pierce the skin and scales of prey. Teeth near the front of the creature's jaws point in different directions and make it hard for slippery victims to shake themselves loose.

Speed Demon: These sharks chase after fast prey, such as tuna and mackerel, so they need to be fast to stay alive. Mako sharks have been clocked swimming at speeds up to 31 miles per hour, making it the fastest known shark in the ocean.

Life on the Go[]

Mako Shark Back Image

The movie Jaws was about a great white, but the poster borrowed scarier looking mako teeth.

The mako shark never stops swimming-literally. If it stops, it dies. This shark needs a constant flow of water pumping through its gills to breathe, which it can only get from swimming all day and all night. The shark's wide pectoral fins operate like wings and help keep the shark gliding along with a minimum of muscle movement.

Hottie: Most fish lose body heat in the water, but mako sharks are able to stay active and alert all the time because their bodies keep heat trapped inside the muscles and brain; the shark's temperature stays about 20°F warmer than the surrounding waters.

Big Game: Pound for pound, the mako is one of the most powerful sharks in the ocean, letting it attack prey that other sharks avoid. Even great whites steer clear of dolphins, which will ram most sharks, but makos kill the aquatic mammals with ease.

Leapin' Sharks![]

  1. Out in the open ocean, a deep-sea fisherman hooks a fish, feeling a tremendous pull on his line. The man struggles, and watches in awe as his catch, an adult mako shark, leaps six feet out of the water. The shark fights the fisherman fiercely.
  2. The fisherman slowly reels the shark in, thinking he is about to win the battle. However, when the mako shark is close, it makes a desperate leap into the boat. The fisherman tries to overpower the shark, but the animal bends around and sinks its teeth into the man's leg.

Trading Card[]

Trivia[]

  • The two scientific names refer to the Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) and the Longfin Mako Shark (Isurus paucus) respectively.
    • The first one is misspelled as Isurus oxyrinhus on the card, missing the c.
  • In the 'Say What?' section of the trading card, 'mako' was spelled 'maco'.
  • The mako shark is featured in Man-Eaters on Monster Mania 33.
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