WHAT TO LOOK FOR
This shark’s snout is not as pointed as that of the short fin mako shark. Its pectoral fins are as long as its head and relatively broad-tipped.

COLOR
Dusky

SIZE
At birth, the shark is 3.2 to 3.9 ft [97 to120 cm] in length, and matures when it is just under 8 ft [245 cm]. Its maximum length is 13.7 ft [417 cm].

HABITAT
Poorly known. Possibly epipelagic in deepwater in the open ocean.

DISTRIBUTION
The shark is in oceanic and tropical regions, probably world-wide (though poorly recorded). It is common in the western Atlantic and possibly the central Pacific; but rare elsewhere.

BIOLOGY

• General – Warm-bodied shark.

• Prey – Feeds on fishes and squid.

• Reproduction – Litters of 2-8 pups.

BEHAVIOR
Poorly known. May be a slower swimmer than the Shortfin mako shark - Isurus-oxyrinchus.

STATUS
Presumed vulnerable to fisheries and likely depleted. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed this species as vulnerable due to its rarity, low reproductive rate, and continuing bycatch mortality.