Basking Shark
Cetorhinus maximus
Mackerel sharks
mako_shark
About
Mackerel sharks are a small group of big, well-known sharks. In this app the group includes the Great White Shark, the Shortfin Mako, and the Basking Shark.
How to tell it apart
Look for two back fins, five gill slits, and a mouth line that runs back past the eye. Few other shark groups share all of these marks at once.
Appearance
These sharks have two fins on their back and one fin near the tail on the underside. They have five gill slits on each side and a mouth that stretches back past the eye. Their eyes have no protective inner eyelid. The group ranges from medium to large sharks, and includes both fast hunters and huge, slow filter feeders that eat plankton.
Behaviour
Some members, including the great white and the mako, can keep their body warmer than the water around them. This is unusual among sharks and fish in general.
Diet
Most mackerel sharks are hunters that catch fish and other sea animals. A few, like the basking shark, instead filter tiny plankton from the water.
Is it dangerous?
some large species can be dangerous — treat with caution and respect
Did you know?
Only 15 species of mackerel shark are alive today, but the group once included the biggest predatory shark ever known, the now-extinct megalodon.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
