Discovery Channel


Sharks Home

Shark Weekend

What is a Shark?

Section 1.1

Section 1.2

Section 1.3

Section 1.4

Section 1.5

Section 1.6

Section 1.7

Section 1.8

Section 1.9

Section 1.10

Section 1.11

Section 1.12

Section 1.13

Section 1.14

Section 1.15

Shark Evolution

Section 2.1

Section 2.2

Section 2.3

Section 2.4

Section 2.5

Section 2.6

Section 2.7

Section 2.8

Section 2.9

Section 2.10

Section 2.11

Section 2.12

Section 2.13

Section 2.14

Section 2.15

The Orders

Section 3.1

Section 3.2

Section 3.3

Section 3.4

Section 3.5

Section 3.6

Section 3.7

Section 3.8

Section 3.9

Section 3.10

Section 3.11

Section 3.12

Section 3.13

Section 3.14

Section 3.15

Shark Reproduction

Section 4.1

Section 4.2

Section 4.3

Section 4.4

Section 4.5

Section 4.6

Section 4.7

Section 4.8

Section 4.9

Section 4.10

Section 4.11

Section 4.12

Section 4.13

Section 4.14

Section 4.15

Sharks in Detail

Lesser-Spotted Dogfish

Bull Shark

Smooth Hammerhead Shark

Blue Shark

Tiger Shark

Great White Shark

Mako Shark

Basking Shark

Megamouth Shark

Nurse Shark

Whale Shark

Pacific Angelshark

Spined Pygmy Shark

Sixgill Sawshark

Broadnose Sevengill Shark

Where Do They Live?

Habitat

Migration

Section 6.3

Section 6.4

Section 6.5

Section 6.6

Section 6.7

Section 6.8

Section 6.9

Section 6.10

Section 6.11

Section 6.12

Section 6.13

Section 6.14

Section 6.15

What Do Sharks Eat?

Diet

How Do They Eat?

Shark Sense

Section 7.4

Section 7.5

Section 7.6

Section 7.7

Section 7.8

Section 7.9

Section 7.10

Section 7.11

Section 7.12

Section 7.13

Section 7.14

Section 7.15

Sharks in Danger

Overfishing

Finning

Bycatch

Shark Products

Section 8.5

Section 8.6

Section 8.7

Section 8.8

Section 8.9

Section 8.10

Section 8.11

Section 8.12

Section 8.13

Section 8.14

Section 8.15

Myths & Reality

Movies

Selachophobia

Shark Attacks

Section 9.4

Section 9.5

Section 9.6

Section 9.7

Section 9.8

Section 9.9

Section 9.10

Section 9.11

Section 9.12

Section 9.13

Section 9.14

Section 9.15

Section 11.1

Section 11.2

Section 11.3

Section 11.4

Section 11.5

Section 11.6

Section 11.7

Section 11.8

Section 11.9

Section 11.10

Section 11.11

Section 11.12

Section 11.13

Section 11.14

Section 11.15

Play: Shark Alley

Section 12.1

Section 12.2

Section 12.3

Section 12.4

Section 12.5

Section 12.6

Section 12.7

Section 12.8

Section 12.9

Section 12.10

Section 12.11

Section 12.12

Section 12.13

Section 12.14

Section 12.15

Play: Ring of Death

Section 13.1

Section 13.2

Section 13.3

Section 13.4

Section 13.5

Section 13.6

Section 13.7

Section 13.8

Section 13.9

Section 13.10

Section 13.11

Section 13.12

Section 13.13

Section 13.14

Section 13.15

Anatomy of a Shark

Section 14.1

Section 14.2

Section 14.3

Section 14.4

Section 14.5

Section 14.6

Section 14.7

Section 14.8

Section 14.9

Section 14.10

Section 14.11

Section 14.12

Section 14.13

Section 14.14

Section 14.15

Watch Shark programmes

Section 15.1

Section 15.2

Section 15.3

Section 15.4

Section 15.5

Section 15.6

Section 15.7

Section 15.8

Section 15.9

Section 15.10

Section 15.11

Section 15.12

Section 15.13

Section 15.14

Section 15.15

Sharks in Detail

Mako Shark

Isurus oxyrinchus

Order: Lamniformes

The short fin mako shark is best known for its amazing speed, which can reach 32 kilometres per hour. Highly prized by game fishermen, mako sharks are famous for their jumping ability and have even been known to jump into fishing boats and injure fishermen when hooked.

Because they swim so fast, mako sharks are able to chase down fish that are much too quick for other predators, such as tuna and swordfish species, as well as other sharks. Their taste for billfish has been known to land them in trouble, and many captured sharks have been reported to bear wounds inflicted by swordfish. Because of their power and aggression, they are regarded as being dangerous to humans and several fatal attacks have been reported.

Maximum size: 3.8 metres / 570kg.

Distribution: Worldwide and temperate waters, especially offshore, but occurs in deeper tropical waters too.

Diet: Fish, especially pelagic species such as tuna and billfish, as well as other sharks.

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous. Litters of between five and ten pups. Developed mako shark pups are known to prey upon less-well developed siblings in the mother’s uterus.

Photos: NHPA