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There are two varieties of mako shark, belonging to the genus Isurus, the long-fin mako and the short-fin mako. The main difference in the two is that the long-fin mako shark has a slimmer body and broader fins, which is probably an adaptation that makes it a slower swimmer than its counterparts. However, despite the slight differences between the two they share a similar habitat and similar eating behaviors.

The staple food of the mako shark is fish, most commonly the tuna, mackerel, anchovies, grunts, herrings, cod, Australian salmon, sea bass, swordfish and lancet fish. They will also eat smaller sharks and even turtles if the opportunity is presented. All sharks are opportunistic feeders, and the mako will feed on a very broad range of prey if it is presented. The remains of larger marine mammals, such as dolphins, have been found in the mako shark's stomach but this is not common. It would not be surprising, however, to fins that larger makos will prey on larger marine mammals more frequently than currently thought.

The teeth of the adult mako, particularly those over 7 feet in length, have broader and more flattened teeth. This also lends credence to the idea that they feed on larger prey more often as they become adults. The shape of an adult mako's teeth is much more suited to capturing large prey as opposed to the narrow, piercing teeth of juveniles. It is also believed that the long-finned mako may feed regularly on larger prey, such as cephalopods or swordfish, as they tend to be slower swimmers.

The short-finned mako shark is among the fastest fish in the ocean, and has been recorded at speeds of 31 mph when feeding. This enables the shark to make quick work of most schooling fish, and their seemingly favorite prey the fast swimming tuna. Speed is also essential to the mako's hunting strategy. It is not uncommon for a mako shark to cruise around near the surface until it sees something that it may be interested. At that point the shark will put on a burst of speed to get close enough to the thing of interest to determine if it is edible. This usually alerts the potential prey to the predator's presence and it will try and flee. If the shark is still interested they have to give chase to the fleeing prey, and as it is so quick it can usually easily snag its prey. Unfortunately the mako shark is similar to the cheetah in many ways as it cannot maintain this high speed for very long. The mako shark must rely on short bursts of extreme speed in order to hunt, and it has done so very effectively for millions of years.

All of these things combined have also made the mako shark a highly prized game fish. The mako tends to be quite aggressive when hooked, even leaping clear of the water in an attempt to escape. The mako shark's danger to humans is debatable. The International Shark Attack File has recorded 8 unprovoked attacks on humans, 2 ending in fatality. This is significantly less than many other shark species. This is unsurprising as the mako shark is usually an open water fish, and its encounters with people are usually intentional on the part of the diver. It is unlikely you will run into a mako shark on accident, and be bitten.

The mako shark is obviously a high skilled predator that has adapted to open ocean life very nicely. Much more research still needs to be done, particularly with the long-finned mako, in order to fully understand the animal and its feeding habits. However, what we do know has shown us a creature that is a top predator with its only natural predator being larger sharks.

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