The shortfin mako is built like a torpedo. Our sources do not record it off the Sussex coast. British boat record: confirmed.
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About the shortfin mako
The shortfin mako is built like a torpedo. It is bright metallic blue above and white below, with a crescent tail and a long pointed snout. A typical adult is 2.5 to 3.2 m long and weighs 60 to 140 kg, and large females can pass 3.8 m. Those are worldwide figures.
It is a creature of warm and temperate offshore seas, from the surface down to about 150 m. It seldom goes into water colder than 16 C, and that is a big part of why it is a rare visitor to UK seas.
The IUCN listed it as Endangered in 2019. Elsewhere in the world it is hooked using chum and bait, but in British waters the right approach is simple: if one is hooked, release it.
There is a British boat record on the official list, and it is an old one. You can read the details below. Beyond that, this guide has no UK notes on months, methods or grounds, and we would rather say so than guess.
On the boat
Worldwide, the shortfin mako is hooked using chum and bait. We have not opened a UK source on how, when or where it is caught from a boat, so we have no British months, methods or grounds to give you. It is a rare visitor to UK seas, and there are no Sussex catch notes in the record.
British boat-caught record
Confirmed record
- Weight
- 500 lb (226.786 kg)
- Where
- Off Eddystone Light, Plymouth, Devon
- When
- 1971
- Angler
- Mrs J M Yallop
Confirmed British boat-caught record: Mrs J M Yallop, 500 lb (226.786 kg), caught off Eddystone Light, Plymouth, Devon, in 1971. The official list gives the year only, not the full date. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and newer claims are by length only.
How we label records: the British boat-caught records table explains confirmed, claimed and none listed.
Care and rules
The shortfin mako is listed as Endangered by the IUCN (2019) and is a rare visitor to UK seas. Release any that you hook. That advice comes from the Shark Trust and this guide, and it is not a legal size limit. Rules change: check the current rules before you fish.
Did you know?
Large females can pass 3.8 m, and the species seldom enters water colder than 16 C. That temperature limit is a good reason it is rarely seen around the UK.
Questions about the shortfin mako
What is the British boat-caught record for shortfin mako?
Confirmed British boat-caught record: Mrs J M Yallop, 500 lb (226.786 kg), caught off Eddystone Light, Plymouth, Devon, in 1971. The official list gives the year only, not the full date. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and newer claims are by length only.
Is shortfin mako caught off the Sussex coast?
Not according to the sources behind this guide.
When is the best time to catch shortfin mako?
Our sources do not give months for the shortfin mako, for Sussex or for the rest of Britain.
How big does a shortfin mako get?
Typical adult 2.5 to 3.2 m and 60 to 140 kg; large females over 3.8 m (Wikipedia, worldwide).
Sources
- Wikipedia: Shortfin mako shark: en.wikipedia.org
- BRFC Sea Fish Records June 2026: anglingtrust.net
- Wikimedia Commons image page: commons.wikimedia.org
Picture: Fabio Olmos, file page on Wikimedia Commons. Every picture in the guide is listed on the picture credits page.
