Description:
Mako shark tooth notched by Indians and used as a tool. Preserved in a box.

Material:
Shark tooth

Maker/Artist:
Unknown

Date:
16th century

Provenance:
n/a

Size of Artwork:
H. 1.5 x W. 1.25 x D. .25 in

Weight (LBS)
.018

Condition:
In excellent condition

History:
The shortfin mako shark is a fairly large species of shark. An average adult specimen measures around 3.2 m (10 ft) in length and weigh from 60–135 kg (132–298 lb). Females are larger than males. The largest shortfin mako shark taken on hook-and-line was 600 kg (1,300 lb), caught off the coast of California on June 3, 2013. Larger specimens are known, with a few large, mature females exceeding a length of 3.8 m (12 ft) and a weight of 570 kg (1,260 lb).[10] The longest verified length for a Shortfin Mako, caught off France in September 1973, was 4.45 m (14.6 ft). It can attain speeds up to 22 miles per hour. A specimen caught off the coast of Italy and examined in an Italian fish market in 1881 was reported to weigh an extraordinary 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) at a length of 4 m (13 ft).[11] Growth rates appear to be somewhat more accelerated in the shortfin mako than they are in other species in the lamnid family.[10]The shortfin mako shark is cylindrical in shape, with a vertically elongated tail that assists its lifestyle. This species' color is brilliant metallic blue dorsally and white ventrally, although coloration varies as the shark ages and increases in size. The line of demarcation between blue and white on the body is distinct. The underside of the snout and the area around the mouth are white. Larger specimens tend to possess darker coloration that extends onto parts of the body that would be white in smaller individuals. The juvenile mako differs in that it has a clear blackish stain on the tip of the snout. The longfin mako shark very much resembles the shortfin mako shark, but has larger pectoral fins, dark rather than pale coloration around the mouth and larger eyes. The presence of only one lateral keel on the tail and the lack of lateral cusps on the teeth distinguish the makos from the closely related porbeagle sharks of the genus Lamna.