Species page
Porbeagle
Common name: Atlantic mackerel shark
Shark species in Lamnidae.
Lamna nasus
Overview
This species belongs to the mackerel shark family, where speed, endurance, and a streamlined build dominate the design. Think powerful open-water movement, long-distance travel, and a slow life history that does not absorb heavy fishing easily. The family has a spindle-shaped body, pointed snout, strong crescent tail, and countershaded coloration. In the larger species, the body often looks dense and warm-blooded rather than delicate. Mackerel sharks occupy temperate to tropical seas worldwide. Some species frequent productive coasts and shelves, while others are highly migratory across open ocean basins.
They use coastal feeding grounds, shelf breaks, offshore islands, and pelagic waters, often linking distant habitats through seasonal movement.
Added from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).
Why it matters: Several lamnids can keep parts of the body warmer than the surrounding sea, giving them unusual performance in cool water.
Common nameAtlantic mackerel shark
Scientific nameLamna nasus
FamilyLamnidae
OrderLamniformes
Max length3.5 m
Depth range0 to 0 meters
RegionNorth Atlantic Ocean, European waters, North West Atlantic
DietData not available in this offline release.
HabitatMarine waters (habitat data not available locally).
Why it stands outFamily: Lamnidae
What this shark is
The family has a spindle-shaped body, pointed snout, strong crescent tail, and countershaded coloration. In the larger species, the body often looks dense and warm-blooded rather than delicate.
Where it lives
Mackerel sharks occupy temperate to tropical seas worldwide. Some species frequent productive coasts and shelves, while others are highly migratory across open ocean basins.
They use coastal feeding grounds, shelf breaks, offshore islands, and pelagic waters, often linking distant habitats through seasonal movement.
How it differs from similar sharks
Family: Lamnidae
Compare it against Japanese mackerel shark, longfin mako, and Darkie Charlie.
Why it is notable
Some famous large sharks belong here, so public attention is high. From a population perspective, however, targeted fishing and bycatch are the central pressures.
Species-level taxonomy was verified from Sharkipedia's current species list and taxonomy workbook. In this pass, the narrative fields are cautious family-level placeholders synthesized from broad shark references, chiefly the FAO Sharks of the World catalogue, because a stronger multi-source species-level synthesis was not assembled here without risking invented detail. Replace this with a direct species-level synthesis before publication in the app.
Related shark pages
These links are meant to help readers continue through related species, not force extra clicks.
Japanese mackerel shark
Common name: Salmon shark
Shark species in Lamnidae.
3.0 m max
longfin mako
Common name: Longfin mako shark
Shark species in Lamnidae.
4.2 m max
Darkie Charlie
Common name: Kitefin shark
Shark species in Dalatiidae.
1.8 m max
Greenland shark
Shark species in Somniosidae.
7.3 m max