Meet the Shortfin Mako Trivia Quiz

Answer: Blue pointer

Blue pointer is one of the common Australian names for the shortfin mako. It is also known as the mackerel shark and snapper shark. Common names vary from place to place, which can make them confusing. The scientific name, Isurus oxyrinchus, gives people a consistent way to identify the same species, wherever they are discussing it.

Answer: Its sharp snout

Oxyrinchus comes from the Greek words oxys, meaning sharp or pointed, and rhynchos, meaning snout. It refers to the pointed nose at the front of the shark's head.

The first part, Isurus, comes from isos, meaning equal, and oura, meaning tail. This refers to the similar-sized lobes of its crescent-shaped tail, rather than a claim that they are perfectly identical. Isurus is the genus name shared by the makos; adding oxyrinchus identifies the shortfin mako species. Both parts give us a clue to its appearance.

Answer: Open water in tropical and temperate oceans

Shortfin makos mainly live offshore in tropical and temperate seas. Tropical waters are near the equator, while temperate waters lie between the tropical and polar regions. These sharks are pelagic, meaning that they swim in open water rather than living on the seabed. They can also occur closer to shore, so an offshore habitat is typical rather than an absolute rule.

Answer: Slender and smooth-edged

The upper teeth are narrow, pointed and smooth along their edges. Serrated teeth have little saw-like notches; the mako does not have that kind of cutting edge. Some teeth can be seen even when its mouth is closed. An adult great white has broad, serrated upper teeth, so tooth shape helps tell the two sharks apart.

Answer: Bony fish and squid

Much of the diet consists of bony fish and squid. Bony fish have skeletons made mainly of bone, unlike sharks, whose skeletons are made of cartilage. Recorded prey include mackerel, tuna and swordfish. Larger makos may also eat other sharks and marine mammals, but fish and squid are the best description of their usual food.

Answer: A crescent with two pointed lobes

The tail fin is shaped like a crescent moon, with a pointed upper and lower lobe. The word 'lunate' is used for this shape, and caudal fin is another name for a tail fin. It provides most of the thrust that moves the shark forward. A ridge, called a keel, runs along each side of the narrow tail base.

Answer: By eating unfertilised eggs

The developing young eat unfertilised eggs stored inside their mother. These eggs provide food rather than developing into more baby sharks. This feeding method is called oophagy, meaning egg-eating. The young develop inside the mother and are born alive. They have no placental connection to her, so live birth does not mean that they are nourished in the same way as most baby mammals.

Answer: Closely packed blood vessels that exchange heat

Working muscles produce heat. The mako keeps some of that warmth through a network of closely packed blood vessels. Warm blood leaving the muscles flows beside cooler blood travelling towards them, and heat passes between the vessels without the blood mixing.

This is called countercurrent heat exchange because the two flows move in opposite directions. It recycles warmth that would otherwise be lost to the sea. The muscles generate the heat; the blood vessels help conserve it. This keeps parts of the shark warm, rather than its whole body at one fixed temperature.

Answer: Pectoral fins

The pectoral fins are the pair that project from the sides just behind the gills. They are noticeably longer in the longfin mako than in the shortfin. These are two separate species, not young and old forms of the same shark.

The other fin names describe different parts of the body. Pelvic fins are a pair on the underside, farther back towards the tail. The first dorsal fin is the forward fin on the back; the shortfin mako also has a much smaller second dorsal fin behind it. The caudal fin is simply the tail fin.

Answer: A blue back and a white underside

The back is a deep metallic blue, with lighter sides and a white underside. This dark-above, light-below pattern is called countershading. The underside of the snout is also usually white. Colour can help with identification, but it should be checked alongside the fins and teeth; lighting and photographs can make colours look different.