Mackerel sharks
Porbeagle
Lamna nasus
A powerful cold-water mackerel shark related to white sharks and makos.
View recent sightings
Every figure uses the same scale. The shark image is shown at the species’ published maximum length; individual animals vary.
Cold-temperate coastal and open-ocean water, with long seasonal migrations.
Cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere.
Surface to about 2,346 ft
Schooling fish and squid.
Heavy spindle-shaped body, conical snout, crescent tail, and a pale free rear tip on the first dorsal fin.
Embryos develop inside the mother and consume unfertilized eggs before birth.
Species facts
Did you know?
A heat-conserving circulatory system lets it keep parts of its body warmer than surrounding water.
Its name may combine old words referring to a porpoise-like shape and a hunting dog.