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. Oxyrinchus is the more common of the two and is the commercially significant species. Mako shark is an excellent alternative to swordfish and sometimes mislabeled as such. To distinguish mako from swordfish, check the skin; mako feels like sandpaper, while swordfish is smooth. Makos are harvested from subtropical or temperate waters worldwide. U.S. fisheries exist off southern California, in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida and following the Gulf Stream north to New England. Makos are usually taken as a bycatch of longliners. The shark’s maximum weight is 1,500 pounds, but 125 pounds is the average market size.