The fastest and most jumping shark, blue metallic, of open sea. In Brazil it moved to Critically Endangered in 2026: catching is prohibited from late October 2026.
Also called: tubarão-mako, anequim, mako, cação-anequim, cação-atum, cação-moro
The mako, or shortfin mako, is an oceanic shark of tropical and temperate seas, a relative of the great white. It keeps its muscles warmer than the water, which makes it a sprinter capable of violent bursts and leaping several meters out of the water when hooked. It hunts tunas, swordfish, bonito and squid. In the South Atlantic, the band between 17° and 35° S, off Brazil, appears to serve as a breeding and nursery area. It is caught mainly as bycatch of tuna longlines, and the North Atlantic stock is overfished. For that reason the 2026 national list classified it as Critically Endangered. In sport fishing it appears on offshore trips and was a classic trophy in Mexico and other countries; in Brazil, only release of accidental catch.
fun facts
Its muscles run 1 to 10 °C above water temperature, like tunas.
It is one of the fastest sharks and can leap several meters out of the water.
Females don't mature until they reach about 2.8 m in length.
how to recognize it
identification
Fusiform, rounded body, intense metallic blue on the back and pure white belly. Conical, pointed snout, large black eye, long, slender, curved teeth visible with the mouth closed. Almost symmetrical crescent tail with a strong keel on the caudal peduncle. The blue shark has a slimmer body, very long pectoral fins and an asymmetrical tail; the longfin mako (Isurus paucus) has longer pectoral fins and is darker.
how shortfin mako fishing looks
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Open sea along the whole coast, over the slope, seamounts and water fronts; most common in the Southeast and South. In the western Atlantic it ranges from the Gulf of Maine to Argentina; in the Pacific, from California to Chile.
Habitat: Open ocean and shelf break, from the surface to hundreds of meters; thermal fronts and areas with schools of tunas and squid.
coast
North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastshelfoceanic
states
Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul
calendar and clock
when to fish
best season
time of year
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Estimate: present year-round in open sea; in the South and Southeast, encounters seem a little more frequent in the cold months. Trips depend on calm seas.
best time of day
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Active by day and at night; on offshore fishing trips it appears more by day, attracted by the chum.
weather, water and behavior
what affects the shortfin mako
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Prefers water of 17 to 27 °C; follows the warm water of the fronts.
atmospheric pressure
A cold front brings rough seas and ends the trips.
moon
Little known effect.
rain
Not very sensitive.
water level
Follows thermal fronts and the edge of the shelf.
noise
Not very sensitive; often approaches the boat out of curiosity.
wind
Rough seas prevent drift fishing.
tide
No significant tide in the ocean; current is what matters.
depth
From the surface to more than 150 m; it goes much deeper during the day.
50 to 80 lb monofilament, or 80 lb braided line with a monofilament leader
leader
1.5 to 2 m wire leader plus 3 to 5 m of 300 lb monofilament
hook
circle hook 12/0 to 16/0, single hook only
natural baits
bonito, mackerel or squid drifted with bait, where fishing is permitted
accessories
cutting pliers for steel cable
long hook remover
luvas
fighting belt
tip from an angler
In Brazil, catch becomes prohibited from late October 2026: if a mako hooks up while you're tuna fishing, release it in the water by cutting the leader close to the mouth. Watch out for jumps alongside the boat, and never bring the fish aboard: it bites and thrashes violently.
what the law says
rules for the shortfin mako
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency. Conservation: New species on the 2026 list: the bans apply from late October 2026. Global: Endangered (IUCN, November 5, 2018). Listed in CITES Appendix II. ICCAT prohibits retaining the North Atlantic stock, with exceptions (Rec. 21-09).
Threatened species (CR): catch prohibited in Brazil
catch, transport, possession and trade prohibited (from late October 2026)
The shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) was added to Brazil's national list in 2026 as Critically Endangered (CR). Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA 1.666/2026 (art. 3) gives full protection to VU, EN and CR species: catch, transport, storage, possession, processing and trade are prohibited. For species not on the previous list, a 180-day transition period applies from publication (April 28, 2026), so the ban takes effect from late October 2026 onward (around October 25; Fiperj, Rio de Janeiro's fisheries agency, gives October 27, 2026). Anyone who hooks one by chance must release it alive immediately (art. 3, § 4). The rule does not authorize targeted fishing, even with release.
Finning prohibited: shark only whole, with its fins
fins naturally attached to the body
In Brazil, finning is prohibited (cutting off the fins and discarding the body). Every shark or ray landed must arrive with its fins attached to the body; it is prohibited to carry on board an animal without fins or with loose fins, and to transfer sharks between vessels. It applies to any shark that may be kept.
1 specimen per angler per day (counts as 5 against the quota of 10)
In recreational sport fishing in Mexican saltwaters, the limit for sharks is one specimen per angler per day, which counts as five toward the total limit of ten fish. Fish caught in sport fishing may not be sold. Catch and release does not count toward the limit: prefer releasing.
commercial or sport extraction not permittedconfirm with the agency
In 2021 Colombia stopped considering sharks and marine rays a fishery resource and began treating them as a hydrobiological resource; the recitals of Decree 281/2021 state that they may not be extracted for commercial or sport purposes, and the decree created an environmental protection plan. Later AUNAP rules dealt with incidental catch in artisanal fishing; we did not check the consolidated text. When in doubt, release it into the water.
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Don't bring it aboard: taking it out of the water kills it, and the mako is dangerous on deck. Fight it firmly and briefly, release it beside the boat with the fish in the water, and cut the leader close to the mouth. Because it has to swim to breathe, revive it with the boat moving slowly ahead and water flowing through its mouth.
in the kitchen
Catch prohibited in Brazil from late October 2026. Large sharks accumulate mercury. Don't buy "cação" (shark meat) of unknown origin.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00646, b = 3.03; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana para a espécie e a subfamília, comprimento total)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
The seasonal weights (months), time of day and sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on field experience of anglers and guides. The months indicate the time of year when the angler usually finds the species near the coast, not a catch season. They are not official data or measurements made for this species and may vary by region and year. Legal rules appear in the rules section, with the regulation and link.
officialPortaria GM/MMA nº 1.666, de 27 de abril de 2026 — regras de proteção das espécies ameaçadas da lista nacionalArt. 3: full protection for VU, EN and CR species; § 4: incidental catch with immediate release of the live animal. The 180-day transition rule for species newly added to the list was verified from official summaries (Fiperj) and technical sources; the DOU (Brazil's Official Gazette) page did not open during verification.
