Mako sharks prey on fishes such as herring, mackerel, and swordfish and on small cetaceans. They are outstanding food and game fish , prized for their fighting qualities and repeated leaps out of the water.

They will eat mackerel, swordfish, tuna, bonito, and other fish species. While it is less common, they will also feed on sea birds, other sharks, sea turtles, and small porpoises. Because they are such fast creatures, they have a higher metabolism, and must feed more frequently. To survive, they must eat 3% of their body weight.

The head of a mako shark. The shortfin mako shark feeds mainly upon cephalopods and bony fish including mackerel, tuna, bonito, and swordfish, but it may also eat other sharks, porpoises, sea turtles, and seabirds. They hunt by lunging vertically …

Mar 12, 2025 · Shortfin mako sharks are aggressive predators that feed near the top of the food web on marine fishes such as bluefish, swordfish, tuna, marine mammals, and other sharks. They have few predators, mainly larger sharks that may prey on smaller shortfin mako sharks.

Jan 23, 2014 · Feeding on some of the world’s fastest tunas and billfish, the mako shark is at the very apex of the marine food chain. It’s also among the best-tasting of the hundreds of shark species around the world. There are two mako species: Isurus oxyrinchus, or shortfin mako, and I. paucus, or longfin mako.

Mako sharks are some of the ocean's fastest predators, and their diet reflects their powerful hunting skills. You might be surprised to learn that these sleek sharks primarily feast on fish, particularly species like tuna and mackerel.

U.S. wild-caught Pacific shortfin mako shark is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Diet studies off the California coast show the sharks feed primarily on jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas), Pacific saury (Cololabis sara), Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax), Pacific chub mackerel (Scomber japonicas), tuna (Thunnus spp.), other sharks and marine mammals. [4]

It is an efficient predator and therefore, a carnivorous animal that feeds on several species of fish, but certainly the favorite food of the populations who live in the Atlantic is the bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) that represents almost 92 percent of its total diet.

Shortfin mako sharks are at the top of the food chain! Their size and speed make them dominant predators in the ecosystem. Occasionally, another shark will eat juvenile makos, but predators rarely go after adults.