The longfin mako has large eyes and is attracted to cyalume sticks (chemical lights), implying that it is a visual hunter. Its diet consists mainly of small, schooling bony fishes and squids. In October 1972, a female with the broken bill from a swordfish ("Xiphius gladias") lodged in her abdomen was caught in the northeastern Indian Ocean; whether the shark was preying on swordfish as the shortfin mako does, or encountered the swordfish in some other aggressive context is not known. Adult longfin mako have no natural predators except for killer whales, while young individuals may fall prey to larger sharks.